Disability insurance claims due to mental health conditions are on the rise
Mental health issues, including anxiety and depression, are among the top five reasons for both short-term and long-term disability claims.1 As of 2023:
Mental wellness and disability are connected
Whether present since birth, or a sudden new reality, any disability can present challenges that impact mental and emotional health. Likewise, mental health challenges may also become disabilities themselves if left unaddressed.
A dedicated mental wellness solution can provide proactive help, with the personalized care employees need to help manage their disability. So they can feel their best, at work and in life.
>40%
increase in the number of mental health claims2
~60%
increase in total mental health claim costs2
~30%
increase in the number of workdays lost due to mental health claims2
Pop quiz
Once a person is out of work on disability for at least six months, the likelihood they will return to work drops by how much, on average?
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Mental wellness benefits through Guardian + Spring Health are clinically proven to drive improved outcomes⁴
~70% of members report reliable improvements in anxiety and depression5
12% fewer missed days per participant6
Post-partum depression
Cardiovascular disease
Cancer
Chronic pain (e.g., osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, migraine headaches)
When employees ask for help
If an employee with a mental health challenge contacts the organization's behavioral health resource, they may be encouraged to take a leave of absence to get better.
Responding to disability leave needs
If an employee sees a physician about a mental health challenge and is approved for disability leave, the claim manager may feel the employee also needs therapy. This is an opportunity to refer the employee to their mental wellness resource.
Proactive post-partum support
If a new mother with post-partum anxiety or depression hasn't seen her doctor in six to eight weeks, her disability claim manager may refer her to the behavioral health resource for help.
Provide employees with personalized, precise support
A dedicated mental wellness solution can tailor a care plan to their needs, whether they need to take leave due to a disability, or want help coping with one.
1 Disability Statistics, Council for Disability Awareness, 2021. https://disabilitycanhappen.org/disability-statistic/
2 Guardian analysis CY2022 to CY2018, 2023
3 Guardian claims data 2023
4Spring Health proprietary research based on results from use of the Spring Health platform, May 2021
5After treatment, 69.3% of participants showed reliable improvement for depression and 68.7% showed improvement for anxiety.” Bondar J, Babich Morrow C, Gueorguieva R, et al. Clinical and Financial Outcomes Associated With a Workplace Mental Health Program Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(6):e2216349. Doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.16349; 5/13,7/13.
6Validation Institute (2023, September 7). Validated program report: Savings review for the Study. https://validationinstitute.com/validated-provider/spring-health/. Actual results may vary. When comparing two matched groups a factor that was not taken into consideration or cannot be measured may explain part of the difference between the groups’ performance. The Validation Institute is an independent third party organization that is unaffiliated with Guardian, its affiliates or subsidiaries.
Mental wellness benefits discussed herein are provided by Spring Care, Inc., d/b/a Spring Health (“Spring Health”), 60 Madison Avenue, Floor 2, New York, NY 10010. Spring Health is not an insurance benefit. Insured products are offered by The Guardian Life Insurance Company, New York, N.Y. (“Guardian”) which has a financial interest in Spring Health.
Guardian’s Group Long Term Disability Insurance is underwritten and issued by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, NY. Products are not available in all states. Policy limitations and exclusions apply. Optional riders and/or features may incur additional costs. Generic Policy Form # GP-1-LTD-15. The state approved form is the governing document. For NY, the Policy Form # is GP-1-DI-12R-NY.
Guardian Group Short Term Disability Insurance is underwritten and issued by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, NY. Products are not available in all states. Policy limitations and exclusions apply. Optional riders and/or features may incur additional costs. Generic Policy Form # GP-1-STD-15. The state approved form is the governing document.