The impact of mental health issues has undoubtedly greatly impacted the lives of Canadians in recent years.

A new report from Dialogue shows how Canadian workers are struggling at work: 62% of missed workdays are due to mental health issues, and the performance opportunities for companies are significant.

MONTREAL, Nov. 29, 2023 /CNW/ – Despite employers’ efforts, there remains a disconnect in the way Canadian workers feel their employer supports their mental health and well-being.

According to a new report from Dialogue Health Technologies Inc., the leading virtual healthcare and wellness platform in Canada, 62% of missed work days are used by employees to take care of their mental health. Dialogue’s ROI shows that more than half (58%) of employees surveyed believe their managers are unprepared to meet their workplace support needs. When it comes to mental health, one in three admit feeling their employer’s support for mental health is not enough and just as many are unaware of the resources they have access to. To make matters worse, the introduction of remote work resulted in 36% of remote workers saying it had a negative impact on their mental health.

The introduction of virtual care in the workplace alleviates these concerns. In fact, a 2023 survey conducted by Dialogue found that a majority of Canadians (81%) believe virtual care allows them to take a more proactive approach to their mental health. Employers must recognize the positive impact of access to virtual care on maintaining a productive workforce over the long term and their return on investment. In fact, annual savings for 1,000 employees amount to nearly $200,000 in absenteeism and more than $218,000 in presenteeism costs, thanks to faster access to Dialogue’s mental health services. Additionally, members report saving more than 4 hours per day on each virtual care appointment on the Dialogue platform.

“Many workers in Canada face a variety of challenges when seeking mental health support, including financial hurdles, lack of access to a primary care provider or ignorance of the resources available to them,” said Dr. Marc Robin, Medical Director of Dialogue. “Anxiety and depression have increased by 25% in recent years. Organizations are investing in virtual care services like Dialogue’s to provide easy, centralized access to the right resources and help employees stay engaged and learn more about the benefits available to them to manage their mental health stand. Reaching employees early has a big impact on their path to remission. »

Through collaborative care models like Dialogue’s, which brings together diverse practitioners such as therapists and doctors, employers can alleviate worsening mental health symptoms. Based on a standardized mental health assessment conducted on Dialogue, members noted improvement 40 to 50% of symptoms are anxiety and depression, with a 40% reduction in the first month alone (30 days of treatment). It’s clear that employees who have greater access to virtual health services see a significant impact in reducing their anxiety and depression.
About the dialogue

Dialogue is Canada’s leading virtual health and wellness platform, providing affordable, on-demand access to high-quality care. Through our team of healthcare professionals, we offer our services to employers and organizations that care about the health and well-being of their employees, members and families. Our Integrated Health Platform🅪 is a unique health portal that brings together all its programs in one place in one easy-to-use application, providing access to services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year via a smartphone, computer or tablet. Dialogue is the first virtual care company to receive Accreditation Canada’s Basic Accreditation Certificate, an independent validation of the high level of quality and safety of care. In October 2023, Sun Life acquired Dialogue, which now operates as a separate company within Sun Life Canada. For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.dialogue.co.

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