Ascellus Announces Publication of a Study Addressing the Mental Health Factors for Improving Outcomes in Work-Related COVID-19

Study in The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Shows Positive Effects of Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Injured Workers

ST PETERSBURG, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ascellus (“the Company”), the leading behavioral health platform in the workers’ compensation industry focused on restoring the physical and mental well-being of America’s workforce, today announced the publication of a research study conducted by Asellus’ clinical staff and collaborators. The study demonstrates the benefits that brief work-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) provides for frontline essential workers whose return-to-work process is impeded by stress, anxiety, and depressed mood, as a result of the COVID-19 virus. These findings contribute to the continually expanding research demonstrating the positive effects that CBT has on improving the health of injured workers whose physical injuries are complicated by psychological distress.

Published in The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the study is titled “Addressing Mental Health Factors to Improve Outcomes in Work-Related COVID-19.” Conducted between May 2020 and August 2021, the study involved 103 healthcare personnel, first responders, and other essential workers who suffered psychological distress as a result of contracting the COVID-19 virus. Participants were referred to Ascellus to address the psychosocial and psychological issues that were impeding their return to work, for which each received a standardized psychological evaluation along with a minimum of three W-CBT sessions. Benefits were measured by comparing the pre- and post-treatment recovery, work status and self-ratings of work-related and adaptive daily functioning.

Within 12 weeks, 80% of injured workers returned to work and experienced a 40% improvement in functioning on work-related goals. Following the introduction of mental health services, injured workers spent less time off than the interval prior to referral, demonstrating the effectiveness that work-focused CBT has for injured workers affected by COVID-19-related stress, anxiety, and depressed mood. “The biopsychosocial model for conceptualization and intervention with chronic pain that has been widely accepted by the American Psychological Association (APA), American Pain Society (APS), American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) and others, can also be applied to COVID-19 recovery and at scale can significantly reduce missed work days for our nation's workforce,” says Aimee Peters, Chief Clinical Innovation Officer at Ascellus.

Ascellus provides evidence-based treatment for pain management, workplace trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), head injury/mTBI, COVID-19 and California Stress Claims. Studies have demonstrated that Ascellus’ programs meaningfully improve return-to-work outcomes with 87% of program participants reaching return-to-work readiness from a psychological perspective within eight treatment sessions.

About Ascellus

Ascellus is the leading behavioral health platform focused on helping injured workers restore their physical and mental wellbeing. By bringing people and technology together, Ascellus delivers customized treatment options through a national network of psychologists, psychiatrists and LCSWs, reducing costs for workers' compensation claims and empowering injured workers to return to work sooner. To learn more about Ascellus, please visit – ascellus.com.