Spectrum.Life’s offering includes a fully Digital Mental Health support experience where members can assess their mental health need, select the counsellor they want to see, and access brief intervention counselling or short-term counselling as appropriate. Users will receive personalised, clinician-matched support, allowing them to choose a counsellor based on personal preferences such as availability, gender, age and expertise. Users can book appointments directly through the platform and manage schedules. For members who want immediate support, they can access 24/7 brief intervention counselling without delays.

The Digital Mental Health solution uses a network of 2,350 plus fully accredited counsellors and psychotherapists. It will be accessible to Simplyhealth’s 2.5 million UK customers, including thousands of businesses, which can use the solution to help them support their staff’s mental health.

Research from Simplyhealth showed that a fifth of UK employees (21%) took time off for mental health problems in the past year, with an average of 5.8 days for the condition, making it the most common reason for sick leave. 

Employers are noticing this too, with a third (33%) reporting rising mental health days as one of the biggest problems their business is facing, with over 2.8 million people off work and economically inactive due to long-term sickness, according to the Office for National Statistics. The positive news is that employers want to tackle this, with the vast majority (79%) agreeing it is their responsibility to support mental health beyond the workplace. 

Within a year-long period, Spectrum.Life saw video counselling consultations increase by over 55%, WhatsApp usage surge by 36.38%, and live chat contacts rise by 24.5%.

Simplyhealth’s Director of Product, Tina Kennedy, said: “When someone needs support with their mental health, it simply isn’t good for their health for them to wait months to be seen. We are impressed by Spectrum.Life’s Digital Mental Health solution, whose high quality of clinical care, combined with its innovative technology, allows greater access via multiple platforms. By joining forces, we are working towards our purpose of improving access to healthcare for all and supporting businesses to keep their staff healthy and in work, reducing the current workforce sickness epidemic facing the nation.” 

Spectrum.Life’s CEO and Co-Founder, Stephen Costello, said: “Our goal is to elevate patient satisfaction and outcomes, within a commercially sustainable model that actively contributes to healthcare transformation and, critically, accessibility. Partnering with Simplyhealth represents a significant milestone for us.” 

Earlier this year World Travel Protection released results from a new survey it commissioned revealing how business travel impacts the mental health of UK business travellers.