Cigna Europe launches global workforce healthcare initiative

The launch follows the company’s 2021 study which revealed 89 per cent of globally mobile employees suffered from workplace stress in the last 12 months.

Cigna’s mental health proposition features a suite of new products and services designed by clinical experts to positively support employee whole health and well-being, whilst helping organisations bolster the resilience of their workforce.

With 56 per cent of globally mobile employees looking for mental health support from their employer – yet only 30 per cent receive it, the innovative solution has been developed for employers to proactively support and address the full range of employee mental health – for those who want to remain well during a crisis through to those with more severe conditions.

One in eight globally mobile employees feel their stress is unmanageable

It comes as research reveals 70 per cent of Brits regularly pretend to be fine to avoid sounding negative, yet 12 per cent of globally mobile employees admit their stress is unmanageable – almost a third (29 per cent) of which suffer from physical symptoms like headaches and stomach pains due to workplace stress.

The breadth of products and services will allow employers to meet the needs of every type of employee – no matter where they are in the world and no matter where they are on their well-being journey, from local or globally mobile employees to professionals working for IGOs and NGOs. It includes:

• Cigna cCBT, designed to help employees’ overcome barriers in personal and medical settings
• Elevate, an extended clinical intervention programme designed to address the needs of participants with a formal diagnosis of depression or anxiety
• EARP by Konterra, where international humanitarian staff receive tailored support through the Employee Assistance and Resilience Programme (EARP™)
• Konterra Ad-Hoc Services, offering a range of tailored mental health and resilience services
• IEAP, offering professional counselling, resources and information to help employees address short-term mental health issues caused by pressure at work or at home.

Last two years unprecedented test of endurance

Arjan Toor, CEO at Cigna Europe, commented: “Change is constant, and people have been adapting to all sorts of change since the beginning of time. However, while human resilience is built in, the last two years have been an unprecedented test of endurance, and many of us have had to find new ways to cope with life’s daily pressures.

“Add to this the war in Ukraine, climate change and the cost-of-living crisis that can trigger anxiety, fear and overwhelm, and we can see the increased mental and psychological strain many are facing. As the whole health partner of choice for many of the world’s crisis responders, international peace-keepers and global corporations, we have decades of experience of supporting people facing challenging and stressful situations, whether at home or on assignment.”

Dr Peter Mills, Clinical Director at Cigna Europe, added: “Hypertension, heart attacks, strokes and weight gain are just some of the health concerns linked to mental health issues. The impact of poor mental health is significant but very often preventable, and recovery is possible for many people.

“Employers should be focused on empowering employees to take a holistic and preventative approach, and developing a proactive mindset, when it comes to looking after their Whole Health. It’s not about getting employees back to physical well-being as soon as possible, it’s about creating healthy behaviours that can minimise the chance of physical or mental illnesses from occurring at all.”