A new report by leading virtual health and wellness platform, Dialogue, unveils how overall employee well-being scores generally low, and remains significantly worse than pre-pandemic levels.
A new report published by global health and wellness virtual health platform, Dialogue Health Technologies Inc., has found that overall well-being is at a low point as people struggle with lifestyle challenges around sleep and physical activity. Well-Being Report: A benchmark for Canadian health, based on data gathered through Dialogue’s Well-Being Score benchmarking thousands of people across Canada, is indicative of trends seen across the globe.
The Well-Being Score leverages the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Well-Being Index (WHO-5), one of the most widely used questionnaires to measure wellness in research, uncovering insights across five dimensions of mental health and well-being, including mood, stress, sleep, activeness, and sense of purpose. Results show lower scores on sleep and physical activity compared to any other dimension. These two areas can be impacted by work stress, family obligations and, in light of the current rise in living costs, financial stress and anxiety, resulting in downstream effects like lack of energy and overall productivity.
The data uncovered from the Canadian survey is worryingly reflective of a similar scenario playing out in the UK, with the NHS reporting that 64% of people aged 17 to 23 years of age had sleep issues 3 or more times in a given week, and with sleep issues being even more prevalent in young people with mental health disorders. Mental Health UK cites nearly 1 in 5 people in the UK aren’t getting enough sleep, and that 37% of adults in the UK blame their work for reducing the amount of control they feel they have over their sleep.
When it comes to activeness, 40% of women and 30% of men are still not meeting the recommended 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week. However, studies show that 80% of chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease can be impacted by lifestyle factors, notably remaining physically active. Regular physical activity is also associated with a 30% decrease in anxiety and depression symptoms.
Small, attainable daily habits can make a big impact on declining mental health and wellbeing – the challenge is equipping people to implement them. In today’s fast-paced world, digital device reliance both in work and in people’s personal lives, means employees are ‘always on’, blurring the boundaries between personal and professional life. It’s crucial for insurers – and in turn businesses – to find new ways to support individuals.
“Measuring and benchmarking how people are feeling and areas of lifestyle in which they are struggling is the key to unlocking the right resources to improve well-being through small, measurable changes to daily habits’’, shares Dr. Marc Robin, Medical Director, Dialogue.“By leveraging the WHO-5 self-assessment, individuals are guided to recognize and embrace the small, everyday steps, such as walking more, that lead to a healthier lifestyle. This approach not only provides proven strategies for improved well-being but also empowers people to take charge of their health, nurturing better habits early on and reducing the need for more serious care later on.”
The report also shows that overall well-being scores are significantly worse than pre-pandemic levels. Older Gen Zs and younger millennials (age 20-29) displayed the lowest subjective scores compared to other adult age groups, consistent with increased rates of mental health diagnoses for people of similar age. However, when presented with options to improve well-being, 71% of employees with access to Dialogue’s Wellness Programme who benchmarked their well-being were motivated to start a small, easily measurable, and attainable new habit.
“When an employee’s well-being is low, benchmarking can additionally help direct employees to the best next step,” said Dr. Robin. “This could mean implementing a healthy habit or leveraging existing benefits such as employee assistance programmes which are traditionally offered across most organisations, but many never use.”
Giving people the tools to understand the implications of how they are feeling and where they benchmark against other people can be the first step to creating healthy habits and instilling long-term change. Benefits, such as employee assistance programmes (EAP), are often under-utilised. While on the rise, in the UK the average usage figure among UK employers topped 12% as of 2022.
As employees face barriers to improving well-being, they increasingly expect their employers to support them in living healthier lives. Insurers need to support employers in providing evidence-based, accessible and integrated tools and strategies spanning across all aspects of health and well-being, proactively addressing health concerns across the wellness-illness continuum, not just once or twice a year when employees are already sick or struggling. This, in turn, helps reduce instances of presenteeism and absenteeism in the workplace as they can address health and lifestyle concerns more proactively and create a healthier, happier workforce.
