MLC Life Insurance is launching a new mental health support program for customers diagnosed with depression and anxiety to help them improve their health ‘mindset’ and participate in ‘good’ work.

Developed in partnership with Monash University and return to health and work specialist IPAR, the Mindset4Life program provides customers with tailored support services to improve their health literacy, physical health and nutrition, as well as social connections. When combined effectively, the evidence shows these interventions lead to better health outcomes.

Mindset4Life is offered to all customers with an active income protection claim and they do not have to pay to use it. It uses an evidence-based biopsychosocial assessment tool, Positivum¹, to objectively measure the need and level of support for each customer’s unique circumstance. Positivum measures include self-confidence, coping and resilience plus expectations about the person’s ability to return to work.

More than 30 MLC Life Insurance customers living with depression and anxiety have enrolled in the program to date. They have experienced significant uplift in the following areas:

• beliefs about the impact their condition or disability has on their ability to work, (up 67%)
• perceptions of their general health and quality of life, (up 54%)
• coping skills to handle life’s challenges, (up 46%)
• self-confidence in their ability to do what they want to do. (up 39%)

Jane Dorter, Chief Claims Officer, MLC Life Insurance, said:

“There is currently a huge demand for mental health services in Australia and, worryingly, we know that 54% of people with mental ill-health do not access any treatment². As revealed in the Productivity Commission’s report into Mental Health, there is strong evidence that interventions such as regular exercise, eating a healthy diet and receiving enough sleep can reduce the risk of mental ill-health and associated impact to work, in conjunction with appropriate clinical treatments.

“Our aim is to help our customers better understand and self-manage their condition and have the self-confidence to return to optimal health and their work. While we’re here to protect our customers financially, we also want to support their overall wellbeing and provide tangible solutions that make a difference. People’s coping skills are individual, and it can often be challenging for them to see their own beliefs and perceptions. This is what Mindset4Life provides for.

Research indicates that people who invest in their physical health, nutritional health, and who are coached to make the most of health practitioner advice will experience less depression and anxiety than those who do not. Mindset4Life ensures every individual is empowered to do this on a daily basis by encouraging new lifestyles that change behaviour in the long term to better prevent relapses.

Jane Dorter added:

“There is a strong likelihood that a potential future recessionary economic environment will impact people’s mental health and wellbeing. Programs like Mindset4Life could help prevent people’s risk of declining mental health and set them up with the coping skills to manage though the challenges.”

In the 12 months to December 2019, the life insurance industry contributed significantly to people with mental health conditions, paying out more than $750 million to approximately 6,800 people experiencing mental ill-health³.

<sub>1. Developed by IPAR and Monash University
2. Black Dog Institute
3. KPMG/FSC life insurance data project</sub>