Employers are increasingly investing in employees’ mental health

Tehnopol led Connected Health Cluster’s member MinuDoc is the largest platform in Estonia that intermediates personalised health consultations through video and web chat, allowing patients to receive personalised advice from a qualified doctor remotely. The platform is increasingly focused on mental health and the provision of relevant services.

Tarmo Pihl, Member of the Management Board of MinuDoc, says that their packages initially focused on physical health but also included mental health. Around two years ago, they noticed that more and more corporate clients were approaching them to provide an entirely separate mental health package. Today, MinuDoc is the largest provider of digital mental health solutions in Estonia and, according to Pihl, the mental health package is currently their most popular product.

Growing demand

“Recent studies have shown that more than 90% of employees feel stressed, with a third saying their stress levels are too high. This trend is affected by both the corona pandemic and the war. The demand for mental health services is growing and this is also visible across generations – the younger the organisation, the more the service is used,” says Pihl.

Less than half of the problems employees are facing are related to the work environment – most of their concerns come from elsewhere. Anxiety, fatigue and worry make up the three most common complaints. This does not mean, however, that these problems do not require intervention by the employer. All of these issues also affect people while at work.

MinuDoc employs in-house psychologists to cover the initial problem, but the company also has a very large support network of external psychologists. This is a significant contribution to the field of occupational health, providing support for both employees and employers. “If employers offer employees certain health benefits, one such benefit could be quick and easy access to a doctor,” says Pihl. He adds that more than half of their customers currently use only the mental health package.

Launched just four years ago, the platform has now expanded outside Estonia and offers mental health services in 14 languages in 20 countries. Tarmo Pihl said that customer feedback both in Estonia and abroad has been very good.

How does it work?

The MinuDoc mental health solution is relatively easy to use. First, the user receives counselling through an online chat, where they have to choose from a word cloud the words that best describe their condition. Then, they will have the opportunity to talk to a psychologist. Pihl says it can be a quick consultation with an in-house psychologist or a referral to a partner.

In addition to psychologists, the platform also provides coaches and supervisors, meaning that people can address areas of personal development, setting goals, avoiding burnout, etc.

Employees can see a mental health specialist up to eight times a year, all remotely. In addition, employers get quarterly feedback from MinuDoc regarding prevalent problems within the company. Employers also get suggestions on what could be changed in the organisation and, if necessary, MinuDoc offers mental health lectures in the workplace.

Today, companies such as Bolt, Telia, Elisa, Tele2, SEB, Kühne-Nagel, Nortal, the Estonian Ministry of Culture, Tamro Eesti, BENU, Testlio, GeniusSports, Äripäev, etc. all use MinuDoc’s services. For more information on MinuDoc’s services, visit their website.

The Connected Health Cluster led by Tehnopol Science and Business Park is Estonia’s biggest healthcare tech community, uniting health service providers, health tech companies and all other key interest groups in the field. The cluster’s support enables domestic cooperation projects and the export of health technological solutions to other countries. The activities of the cluster are co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.