In the wake of Covid-19, whole health gains momentum
Coronavirus pandemic has shifted paradigms and motivated people to look beyond physical or mental health and want access to holistic health plans and work-life balance
The devastation of the Covid-19 outbreak, with millions of deaths, economic turbulence, and unprecedented curbs on social interaction, has had a marked impact on mental health for nearly 300 million people globally.
The pandemic has disrupted or halted critical mental health services in 93 percent of countries worldwide, while the demand is surging, according to a World Health Organisation (WHO) survey.
That Covid-19 has taken a massive toll on people’s mental and physical wellbeing is beyond doubt. In more ways than one, the pandemic has shifted paradigms. In the past 22 months, the world has seen many people’s lives change dramatically.
At Cigna, as part of our 2021 360° WellBeing Survey, which covered more than 18,000 respondents in 21 markets around the world, we have tried to find out how it has affected lives across key indicators, including physical, family, social, financial, and work.
Our survey has found out that people are increasingly looking beyond physical or mental health, and want access to holistic health plans and work-life balance. Priority areas include family health (81 percent), mental health and emotional wellbeing (78 percent), physical health (77 percent), and financial health (77 percent).
Among other parameters, work-life balance was a key talking point. A good work-life balance directly promotes health and wellbeing, and public awareness in this regard is rising. Professionals are learning to take breaks, spend quality time with family, and attempt to maintain the right balance between work and personal life.
In other words, the focus has shifted to whole health, where people are rethinking their priorities and adopting a holistic approach to taking care of their overall health with equal emphasis on mental and physical health, which involves work, social, and family life.
A majority of the respondents of the Cigna 360° WellBeing Survey placed high importance on work-life balance (73 percent), access to care, such as medical advice or treatment (72 percent), and home environment and living conditions (72 percent), as they work more from home.
Workplace wellness has taken the spotlight, with working from home bringing a whole new host of challenges, especially blurring the boundaries between working hours and personal time, and thus tipping the work-life balance scales in the wrong direction.
The challenges brought by the pandemic have also shaped new preferences around remote working and expectations for enhanced health insurance packages that focus on whole health and offer peace of mind. These have the potential to move from a nice-to-have to a must-have, which could influence career decisions.
The greater emphasis on holistic health makes it clear that support for mental health issues is a critical component of any drive for better health and well-being, whether that support is provided through health services companies, employers, or other means.
Family health is also part of the priority areas. For instance, in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the respondents rated family health as the most important factor at 81 percent and 76 percent respectively, slightly ahead of mental (78 percent and 75 percent) and physical health (77 percent and 74 percent), followed by financial health (77 percent and 72 percent).
Covid-19 is shaking up the healthcare landscape. Healthcare payers and providers have an opportunity to serve the changing needs of consumers while laying the foundation for an evolution in healthcare. At Cigna, we know that whole health is a journey towards better health.
Over the next few months, it will be interesting to see how individuals, families, communities, and companies will respond to this once-in-a-generation shift. But one thing is certain – whole health and wellbeing have never been more important in building a healthier, more optimistic future.
Jerome Droesch, CEO of Cigna MEA and SEA.
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By Jerome Droesch
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In the wake of Covid-19, whole health gains momentum
Coronavirus pandemic has shifted paradigms and motivated people to look beyond physical or mental health and want access to holistic health plans and work-life balance
The devastation of the Covid-19 outbreak, with millions of deaths, economic turbulence, and unprecedented curbs on social interaction, has had a marked impact on mental health for nearly 300 million people globally.
The pandemic has disrupted or halted critical mental health services in 93 percent of countries worldwide, while the demand is surging, according to a World Health Organisation (WHO) survey.
That Covid-19 has taken a massive toll on people’s mental and physical wellbeing is beyond doubt. In more ways than one, the pandemic has shifted paradigms. In the past 22 months, the world has seen many people’s lives change dramatically.
At Cigna, as part of our 2021 360° WellBeing Survey, which covered more than 18,000 respondents in 21 markets around the world, we have tried to find out how it has affected lives across key indicators, including physical, family, social, financial, and work.
Our survey has found out that people are increasingly looking beyond physical or mental health, and want access to holistic health plans and work-life balance. Priority areas include family health (81 percent), mental health and emotional wellbeing (78 percent), physical health (77 percent), and financial health (77 percent).
Among other parameters, work-life balance was a key talking point. A good work-life balance directly promotes health and wellbeing, and public awareness in this regard is rising. Professionals are learning to take breaks, spend quality time with family, and attempt to maintain the right balance between work and personal life.
In other words, the focus has shifted to whole health, where people are rethinking their priorities and adopting a holistic approach to taking care of their overall health with equal emphasis on mental and physical health, which involves work, social, and family life.
A majority of the respondents of the Cigna 360° WellBeing Survey placed high importance on work-life balance (73 percent), access to care, such as medical advice or treatment (72 percent), and home environment and living conditions (72 percent), as they work more from home.
Workplace wellness has taken the spotlight, with working from home bringing a whole new host of challenges, especially blurring the boundaries between working hours and personal time, and thus tipping the work-life balance scales in the wrong direction.
The challenges brought by the pandemic have also shaped new preferences around remote working and expectations for enhanced health insurance packages that focus on whole health and offer peace of mind. These have the potential to move from a nice-to-have to a must-have, which could influence career decisions.
The greater emphasis on holistic health makes it clear that support for mental health issues is a critical component of any drive for better health and well-being, whether that support is provided through health services companies, employers, or other means.
Family health is also part of the priority areas. For instance, in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the respondents rated family health as the most important factor at 81 percent and 76 percent respectively, slightly ahead of mental (78 percent and 75 percent) and physical health (77 percent and 74 percent), followed by financial health (77 percent and 72 percent).
Covid-19 is shaking up the healthcare landscape. Healthcare payers and providers have an opportunity to serve the changing needs of consumers while laying the foundation for an evolution in healthcare. At Cigna, we know that whole health is a journey towards better health.
Over the next few months, it will be interesting to see how individuals, families, communities, and companies will respond to this once-in-a-generation shift. But one thing is certain – whole health and wellbeing have never been more important in building a healthier, more optimistic future.
Jerome Droesch, CEO of Cigna MEA and SEA.
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