In the fast-paced and dynamic world that the workforce navigates today, the significance of mental health cannot be overstated. Just as physical health is paramount, nurturing employees' mental well-being is essential for their overall health and productivity.

A workplace that prioritises mental health creates a supportive environment where individuals can thrive, innovate, and contribute effectively. By offering comprehensive mental health support and resources, employers not only safeguard their employees' emotional and psychological well-being but also foster a culture of empathy, understanding, and resilience.

Ultimately, investing in mental health protection for the workforce is a strategic imperative that yields benefits beyond measure, enhancing employee engagement, retention, and organisational success.

Tung Hsiao Ley, Chief Corporate Solutions Officer, AIA acknowledged the demand for mental health support for the workforce, as she noted that more employees are struggling with mental wellness, further exacerbated by the pandemic.

“Organisations who are looking to foster a healthy and happy environment for their employees whilst staying ahead of their competition would have to play a more active role in addressing mental health issues at the workplace,” Hsiao Ley said.

Given this need for organisations to better address mental health issues, AIA collaborated with ThoughtFull, a Southeast Asian-based digital mental health platform to launch its own Mental Health Solution in August 2022. The said initiative marks the first time an insurer in Malaysia has committed itself to provide employee benefits coverage for both physical and mental health.

End-to-end mental health support

Under the AIA Mental Health Solution, AIA seeks to provide end-to-end mental health support for employees, through a suite of solutions and services that provides guidance to organisations who are seeking to nurture and improve their employees’ wellbeing. 

In the partnership, AIA integrates ThoughtFull’s end-to-end mental health care capabilities into its employee benefits offering, covering mental wellness and mental health benefits. Both companies take part in delivering management programmes for stress, anxiety, and depression to corporate policyholders and their employees, amongst other solutions and services.

The AIA Mental Health Solution comes with digital access to mental wellness services, as well as coverage for mental health benefits.

Digital mental health services include unlimited one-on-one access to professional mental wellness coaches for daily bite-sized coaching, self-guided learning content and wellness tracker, mental wellness programmes, webinars, and workshops, and a 24/7 wellness hotline for crisis interventions.

Employees can use their mental health benefits to access care and therapies such as consultation, medication, and treatment from psychiatrists or physicians, which are offered in cashless and/or reimbursement options. This option for mental health benefits is also offered to employees' dependents.

Building healthier workplaces

Leading by example, AIA first engaged the services of ThoughtFull at the very start of the pandemic in 2020. Through ThoughtFull’s employee wellbeing programmes, AIA employees reported a 43% average reduction in depression, anxiety, and stress levels. Additionally, those who engaged with a ThoughtFull certified mental health professional reported positive changes in their outlook and behaviour.

“We worked with ThoughtFull because of their genuine and seamless approach to mental wellness at the workplace and saw first-hand the benefits that it brought to our employees. This further motivated us to explore how we could bring this service to our own corporate clients,” added Hsiao Ley.

Leading insurer in Malaysia

As the leading insurer in Malaysia, AIA’s goal is to provide seamless solutions to improve mental wellbeing in companies across Malaysia – removing stigma and creating a safe space at work to foster mental health discussions. 

The launch of AIA’s Mental Health Solution in collaboration with ThoughtFull earned AIA the Health Insurance Initiative of the Year - Malaysia and Strategic Partnership of the Year - Malaysia at the Insurance Asia Awards 2023. The company’s success does not end with these two awards, as it has made strides in other areas as well.

AIA also took home awards across other categories at the Insurance Asia Awards: AI Initiative of the Year - Malaysia for its MDRT Profiling; Insurtech Initiative of the Year - Malaysia for SOAR360; Digital Transformation Initiative of the Year - Malaysia award for its work on Customer360 and AIA recruiter; and Mobile App of the Year - Malaysia award for its mobile application enhancements.

The Insurance Asia Awards is the most prestigious awards programme in the Asia Pacific region for insurance companies that have made significant impacts on their customers. It recognises insurance firms with exceptional products, services, and solutions.

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