Discovery Vitality launches mental wellbeing programme

Financial services group Discovery Vitality has launched a new mental wellbeing programme based on personalised health goals.

According to the group, the programme will be added to Vitality Active Rewards for every Vitality member in early 2020 at no additional cost.

"Discovery's core purpose is to make people healthier, and mental health is a key health risk, and one that is leading to an increasing cost burden.

"There is a strong link between mental health and physical health — people suffering from mental illness are 60% more likely to be diagnosed with preventable chronic conditions, so Vitality interventions to assess and improve mental wellbeing could have a profound impact on our members and on society," said the group's CEO Dinesh Govender.

Govender said members will be prompted to earn 1,000 Vitality points annually for taking the mental wellbeing assessment every six months.

"We use an online clinically robust questionnaire to assess anxiety, depression, sleep, substance abuse, resilience and happiness.

"Based on the outcomes, we provide tailored recommendations and interventions that include telephonic counselling, as well as clinical referrals (in accordance with their medical scheme benefits)," he said.

The tailored recommendations and interventions include:

• Reassessments every one, three or six months.
• Access to telephonic counselling through a dedicated support line with the SA Depression and Anxiety Group, available 24 hours a day.
• Additional appropriate clinical referrals based on medical scheme benefits.

The mental wellbeing goals will be personalised based on the individual's risk profile.

The group promises that members will receive weekly goals to improve sleep and mindfulness through partner apps and interventions such as:

• Engaging in mindfulness activities for at least 10 minutes a day, three days a week to achieve the mindfulness goal.
• Recording at least seven hours of sleep a night, four times a week to achieve the sleep goal for poor sleepers.
• Encouraging healthy eating and physical activity.