Mental health conditions are common and highly treatable. The coronavirus pandemic has most of us dealing with isolation, fear, and stress. Currently, 1 in 3 adults report experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety. That’s up from 1 in 5 adults pre-COVID.1
End the stigma
People often avoid mental health care for fear that others will judge them. They don’t want to be defined by a diagnosis or seen differently. We can all play a role in ending the stigma.
You can:
- Share your own stories of mental health struggles and getting care.
- Avoid using hurtful words or jokes about what someone is going through.
- Be an ally and call out this behavior when you hear others using negative terms.
- Share resources for and stories about mental and behavioral health that are already available.
Use these tips and the resources below when planning communications to go to your employees about Mental Health Awareness in May.
Plan benefit information you can share
Ready-to-share employee communications are available in the Behavioral Health and Wellness category in B’link which cover:
- General behavioral health and mental health tips
- Tips for preventing substance use disorders and lifestyle diseases
- Mental and behavioral health programs, such as:
- Brightline: Behavioral health care for children, teens, and their families
- Quartet: Behavioral Health Navigator - A service to help employees find mental health providers
- Talkspace: A program to connect with virtual therapists or psychiatrists
- Virtual care for substance use disorder
- Virtual care for adult mental health care
Check with your Premera representative or producer if you are unsure which of these programs and services are already included in your Premera health plan.
More resources to share
The following resources are a collection of stories, videos, and other sources that are already available. When you talk to your employees about Mental Health Awareness Month and share with them how their health plan benefits can address mental and behavioral
health, feel free to share these stories as well.
The Premera Mental Health resource webpage
These resource help members find mental or behavioral health care, connect with local programs, access crisis resources, find tips to deal with mental and behavioral health challenges, and learn how to recognize warning signs.
Visit the Healthsource blog
Premera highlights stories and guidance from our experts around stigma and accessing care for mental health in our Healthsource blog.
Taking the first steps in getting behavioral health care
Deciding to get help for behavioral health concerns can be a difficult choice to make. Figuring out how to start the process can feel just as challenging. Dr. Susanne Quistgaard, medical director at Premera Blue Cross, shared insights to
help people know where to go and what to expect.
How to spot substance use disorder
Spotting an addiction in a loved one can be challenging emotionally.
Substance use disorder (SUD) is easier to spot than some other addictions due to noticeable changes in behavior and personality. SUD is a form of addiction that can hurt more than just the person who has it and coming to terms with its existence can
be hard for all.
Helpful resources for living with substance use disorder
Addiction is hard to talk
about and often misunderstood, but here at Premera, we want to change the narrative. So, we put together a guide of resources that you can call upon if you think you or a loved one may be struggling with substance use disorder (SUD).
Premera videos
Check out the videos on our YouTube channel that discuss a variety of issues, such as stigma, mental and behavioral health, and access to care.
Interview with Dr. Josephine Young, medical director at Premera
The importance of giving young people a safe space to talk about behavioral health.
Hockey Talk Videos with Seattle Kraken players
Addressing stigma and asking for help.
Crosscut
Stories highlighting how people are helping provide access to behavioral health care.
KING 5 “New Day Northwest”
These news stories dive into topics around behavioral health resources, including health inequities withing the Black community.
1 - National Library of Medicine, NIH Curriculum Supplement Series, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK20369/