SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Modern Health, a leading global workplace mental health platform, unveiled a groundbreaking study today conducted by the non-profit research institute RAND Europe that uncovers how individuals worldwide engage with mental health support. The research highlights, for the first time in the digital mental health industry, the significant differences in global engagement patterns, underscoring the urgent need for a more innovative approach to care that is scalable, sustainable, and personalized to each person’s specific needs and preferences wherever they are in the world.
“This research is key to better understanding how people around the world truly want to engage with mental health support. For too long, the industry has positioned therapy as the only fix to the global mental health crisis, but this approach is incomplete. Not only is there a shortage of therapists in the world—therapy isn’t always what people need or want, nor is it the only intervention that’s effective. There is no one-size-fits-all solution or single approach to care that will resolve mental health struggles worldwide, and this is even more true when we examine the issue with a global perspective,” says Dr. Neha Chaudhary, Chief Medical Officer at Modern Health. “If we’re really going to crack the code on improving mental health on a global scale, we need to stop making assumptions and actively listen to people’s needs and preferences so that we can support them in ways that make sense within the context of their real lives. Only then can we drive the level and type of engagement necessary for lasting, meaningful change.”
A Call to Action for Multinational Employers
The global mental health crisis is projected to cost the world economy $6 trillion USD by 2030, with inevitable workplace implications given the clear connection between mental health, burnout, productivity, and the resulting costs. The study’s findings hold profound implications for global businesses striving to support employee well-being and its findings demonstrate the importance of centering individual needs and preferences across different regions, cultures, and languages.
The retrospective observational study (2020-22), which analyzed data from 178,119 registered Modern Health members across seven global regions, revealed several noteworthy insights:
LATAM and the Caribbean Lead in Engagement, While Asia Favors Digital Resources and Americans Prefer One-on-One Support
Approximately 60% of registered members globally engaged with at least one service, and 25% utilized both one-on-one therapy or coaching sessions and self-guided digital resources. The study revealed distinct engagement patterns across different regions, underscoring the importance of multiple high-quality services. Latin American and Caribbean members showed the highest overall engagement. Asian members showed a stronger preference for self-guided digital resources, with fewer engaging in one-on-one therapy or coaching. In contrast, American members showed a preference for one-on-one provider sessions, with fewer utilizing digital activities.
The study also examined a subset of 33,477 engaged global members over a two year period to more deeply understand engagement patterns. Findings include:
Canada Leads in One-on-One Engagement
Canada emerged as a standout in the study, boasting the highest proportion of members who engaged in nine or more one-on-one provider sessions, whether through therapy or coaching.
Women Outpace Men In Engagement With Younger Members Favoring One-on-One Support
The study found women are the frontrunners in utilizing mental health support, outpacing men across all forms of support, including self-guided digital resources and one-on-one therapy or coaching. Women were 30% more likely to use self-guided resources and 13% more likely to use one-on-one support than men. A fascinating generational divide also revealed younger members aged 18 to 27 years prefer one-on-one support, while members aged 38-67 years prefer self-guided digital resources, showcasing their adaptability to and interest in technology-driven solutions and debunking a popular misconception that older generations are less likely to want tech-forward interventions. In fact, Baby Boomers (58-67 years) are 47% more likely to engage with self-guided digital resources than Gen Z (18-27 years), who are 257% more likely to engage in one-to-one care than Baby Boomers.
Impressive Rates of Global Satisfaction and Retention
The report unveiled remarkable satisfaction and retention rates among Modern Health’s global members, with an impressive 4.9/5 satisfaction rating across all regions. Notably, 40% of members continued to use the platform after 90 days—significantly surpassing industry benchmarks, which typically range from 5% to 20%.
“Multinational companies need to consider the diversity of their employees’ needs and cultural influences when it comes to mental health support. Historically, this has meant partnering with regional providers, which leads to complexity and fragmented experiences. With rising behavioral health claims taking a toll on businesses’ bottom lines and global employees asking for benefits parity, leaders can’t afford to ignore this challenge any longer,” comments Maureen Calabrese, Chief People Officer at Modern Health. “It’s more important than ever to have data and evidence of global equity and reach when evaluating a solution that claims to have a global presence. Only then can you really maximize the impact for your entire workforce.”
Modern Health has access to a global network of 86,000+ licensed therapists and certified coaches across 200+ countries and 80+ languages. Our platform is accessible in 24+ languages with almost complete feature parity between US and globally localized versions—unheard of in the industry. In addition to Modern Health’s in-house team of mental health experts, it leverages a Global Inclusion Council of providers from around the world to review care delivery best practices for cultural nuance.
Visit Modern Health for more information and to access the full study titled “Utilization and Engagement with an Employer-Provided Digital Mental Health Platform: An International Perspective.”
About Modern Health
Modern Health is a comprehensive global mental health solution offering employees access to one-on-one, group, and self-serve digital resources for their emotional, professional, social, financial, and physical well-being needs - all within a single platform. Whether someone wants to proactively manage stress or treat depression, Modern Health guides people to the right care at the right time. Modern Health empowers companies to help all their employees be the best version of themselves and believes in meeting people wherever they are in their mental health journey.
Modern Health is backed by investors like Kleiner Perkins, Founders Fund, John Doerr, Y Combinator, and Battery Ventures and raised more than $170 million in less than two years. Modern Health is the fastest entirely female-founded company in the U.S. to reach Unicorn status.
