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Startups to Use Technology in Revolutionising Mental Health Support
Many Asian countries implemented tougher pandemic restrictions that caused concerns about elevated stress, anxiety, and isolation levels.

By
Apac CIOOutlook | Tuesday, December 06, 2022
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Singapore startups are focusing on technological improvements to offer assistance for employees to better take care of their mental health.
FREMONT, CA: Many Asian countries implemented tougher pandemic restrictions that caused concerns about elevated stress, anxiety, and isolation levels. Today, many young entrepreneurs leverage technology to offer greater access to mental healthcare. For example, a Singapore-based company raised 20 million USD which is the largest amount raised by a mental health start-up in Asia.
A lot of people were thrown into an array of things, such as the anxiety of the pandemic, being locked up, and getting stay-home notices. These fundamentally changed the idea that mental health is more than a nice-to-have element that companies should consider. This is because a workforce with poor mental health will fail to perform better. Therefore, there is a need to scale up mental health offerings. Some companies are working on apps that would allow users to text or call mental health coaches for confidential advice at any time without making appointments. This allows users to efficiently seek professional help whenever they need it.
These companies target employers in their business models, where companies can pay for a subscription and workers will have unlimited access to services while keeping their identities private from their bosses. Employers will benefit from better mental health in their workforce, as the impacts of poor mental health outcomes are significant. If companies focus on the employment and organisational levels, those impacts will result in presenteeism, absenteeism, lost productivity and engagement, and attrition.
Few companies are attempting to close the gap by proactively protecting mental well-being before symptoms get worse. When employees open the apps, the system asks them how they feel at the moment. Small rescue sessions are provided to users experiencing a difficult time, while therapy sessions are available for those who need them. Such apps feature numerous learning programmes for users to overcome mental roadblocks like self-esteem issues, depression, or procrastination.
Start-ups building such prototypes will benefit employers by identifying trends and general concerns among their workforces. Furthermore, the data shared with employees’ consent offers employers a perspective on what their employees struggle with, which they should dive deep into.
In Asian contexts, many cultures uphold values such as honour and pride, and mental illness is viewed and judged as a sign of weakness. In terms of mental health, every issue is easier to prevent than to fix. Companies should offer coaching or other services to invest in their employees' mental health and normalise the practice. They should break the social stigma and build a new mental healthcare system for the Asia-Pacific region. Mental health is as important as physical health. Employees face challenges such as burnout, sleep issues, and relationship struggles, therefore, companies should give more importance to employee mental well-being.