A Preventative Approach to Mental Health
Chronic illnesses are prevalent across American's with 60% of people living with one and nearly 40% with two or more {1}. Those living with a diagnosis are more likely to develop a mental health condition {2}.
The cost of treatment for chronic health is around $4.1 trillion annually {1} while the cost of mental health claims are $280 billion. The US government formally stated that many people are not adequately treated with over 50% of adults mental health needs remaining unmet {3}.
A number of studies have started to emerge to look at preventative approaches such as mindfulness. They have shown mindfulness is more successful than current care and also results in a cost saving to insurers. The programs are cheaper than other care options and those embarking on such alternatives use fewer medical services going forward {4, 5, 6, 7}.
Not only are the benefits outsized compared to the alternative for insurers but equally the employers gain a significant benefit. One study found that absenteeism fell by 85%, productivity rose by 120% and injuries dropped by 70% {8}.
At CHILL we hope to be at the forefront of mental health prevention but also want to think more broadly and look at the cost and productivity implications on the broader economy. As the world moves into a recessionary period, costs will be cut and likely people will lose their jobs. We can try and support not only the end users with their mental health but companies generally to manage their costs during such an economic cycle.
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, Nov 7). Chronic Diseases in America. CDC.
2 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2021). Chronic illness and mental health: Recognizing and treating depression. National Institute of Mental Health.
3 The United States Government. (2022, May 31). Reducing the economic burden of unmet mental health needs. The White House.
4 Gawande R, Pine E, Griswold T, Creedon T, Vallejo Z, Rosenbaum E, Lozada A, Schuman-Olivier Z. Insurance-Reimbursable Mindfulness for Safety-Net Primary Care Patients: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. Mindfulness (N Y). 2019 Sep;10(9):1744-1759. doi: 10.1007/s12671-019-01116-8. Epub 2019 Mar 18. PMID: 32042349; PMCID: PMC7009938.
5 Harvard Medical School. (2015). Yoga and meditation offer health care savings—and you can do them at home. Harvard Health Publishing.
6 Mccubbin T, Dimidjian S, Kempe K, Glassey MS, Ross C, Beck A. Mindfulness-based stress reduction in an integrated care delivery system: one-year impacts on patient-centered outcomes and health care utilization. Perm J. 2014 Fall;18(4):4-9. doi: 10.7812/TPP/14-014. PMID: 25662520; PMCID: PMC4206164.
7 Müller, G., Pfinder, M., Schmahl, C. et al. Cost-effectiveness of a mindfulness-based mental health promotion program: economic evaluation of a nonrandomized controlled trial with propensity score matching. BMC Public Health 19, 1309 (2019).
8 Stevens, J. E. (1995, June 5). Relaxing the rules: More companies embrace meditation : Businesses say the at-work sessions make for happier employees, increased productivity-- even higher profits. Los Angeles Times.
