Survey Finds Mental Health Strategies Needed in Canadian Workplaces

SCM Health Solutions Sponsors Research Conducted by Conference Board of Canada

February 17, 2016 – Toronto, Ontario. SCM Health Solutions, one of Canada’s largest medical assessment and health services companies, is among the proud sponsors of a recent briefing published by The Conference Board of Canada that has determined, among other findings, that only 39 per cent of Canadian workplaces have a mental health strategy in their workplace. It further found that a little over 30 per cent of employers cited a lack of knowledge on how to address mental health as a reason for not having implemented a mental health strategy.

In its briefing, The Conference Board of Canada suggests an effective mental health strategy in the workplace is crucial to the ongoing success of an organization, not least because early and proper diagnoses of an employee’s mental health condition can mitigate frequent absenteeism and reduce disability. It further suggests employers consider the scope of their medical assessment services to ensure they can ably assist their employees.

SCM Health Solutions recognizes the need for research like this, and supports The Conference Board of Canada in creating further dialogue around this vitally important topic.

“We co-sponsored the research in an effort to accelerate and contribute to the development of solutions for employers,” says Karen Seward, President of SCM Health Solutions. “We believe it is our job to engage in the exchange of knowledge and ideas surrounding mental health in order to shape the direction of future care. We also believe that medical assessment and consultation services can help employees identify and proactively address mental health issues, thereby considerably reducing the risk of a given mental health condition developing in severity.”

In support of their recent research, The Conference Board of Canada has made its briefing available online. To learn more about this survey and to download the entire briefing, please click here: http://www.conferenceboard.ca/e-library/abstract.aspx?did=7707. 

This research was made possible through the financial support of Lundbeck Canada, Sun Life Financial, SCM Health Solutions, The Mental Health Commission of Canada, Canadian Depression Research Intervention Network, Mood Disorders Society of Canada and The Conference Board of Canada’s Canadian Alliance for Sustainable Health Care (CASHC).

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About SCM Health Solutions

SCM Health Solutions owns and operates four distinct brands to service niche market segments: Cira, trm, MDAC, and Sibley. SCM Health Solutions supports these brands with thought leadership, industry insights, and research and development.  These brands provide independent medical assessments and clinical health solutions within a framework of operational excellence and medical expertise. For more information, please visit www.scmhealthsolutions.ca.