In this edition of our Cloud Talk webinar series, Megan Lam of digital health company Neurum discussed why it makes good business sense for companies to invest in a mental wellness programme
As global coronavirus numbers continue to rise well past the three million mark, mental health is fast becoming an issue on the top of everybody’s mind. People are experiencing unprecedented anxiety, not just from worrying about contracting the virus, but also from trying to adapt to the “new normal”—be it a remote working arrangement or a national lockdown.
And while the issue of mental health itself isn’t new, for many companies in Asia the idea of promoting and measuring workforce mental well-being may be. In our latest Cloud Talk webinar on April 27, we spoke to Megan Lam, the CEO of Neurum, to provide insights on why investing in employee mental wellness is both good for people and good for business.
With a background in neuroscience and psychiatric research, Megan co-founded Neurum in 2018 to provide screening and personalised mental health support for employees at scale. She has also consulted for the German government’s international development programme on digital health, and led a team at Yale School of Medicine that focused on the intersection of tech and mental health. Here are the key takeaways from this session.
Understanding Mental Health
At the beginning of the session, Lam ensured she clarified the actual definition of what it means to experience poor mental health. “It is a common misconception that mental health is about feeling sad or low, that it's all about feelings. What gets left out of the conversation is the issue of functionality—when you reach that threshold where you’re no longer able to function as well as you used to.”
According to the World Health Organization, this functionality that Lam spoke about is defined as a state of well-being where individuals realise their capabilities, are able to cope with normal stresses in life, are productive and are able to contribute to their community effectively.