Workplace mental health company Unmind has acquired Frankie Health, also a mental health company for employers, the organizations announced Thursday. Through the acquisition, the combined entity also launched its new product, Unmind Talk.
London-based Unmind offers a measurement tool that allows employees to gain insights into their own mental health. Its content library also provides access to exercises and self-guided courses. Additionally, it has educational material for employers on how to create a healthy work environment. Dublin-based Frankie Health, meanwhile, connects employees to a global network of mental health practitioners. Unmind’s customers include Uber, Major League Baseball, British Airways and Ogilvy, while Frankie’s clients include McDonalds and Lattice.
“We’ve always known that there are times and places where it’s really valuable and appropriate for an individual to be able to speak to a human being,” said Dr. Nick Taylor, CEO and co-founder of Unmind. “That kind of blend of digital and human has always fascinated us. How can you enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of digital therapy with tools and measurement? That’s when we started talking to the Frankie team.”
Unmind Talk, offered through the web or via an app, combines the strengths of both companies into one solution. Users can begin with the measurement tool to see how they’re doing with their mental health. The tool may recommend digital content to help people manage their health, or it could also direct users to speak with one of its practitioners. They’ll be able to select a practitioner and set up an appointment through Unmind Talk. The product offers practitioners in more than 50 languages and in every major time zone.
“The beauty is that the practitioner then has access to 700 hours of digital mental health content that they can essentially signpost the employee to in between therapy sessions,” Taylor said.
These services are beneficial for employers to offer as mental health is often the reason for absenteeism, presenteeism and turnover, Taylor argued. Absenteeism refers to regularly staying away from work, while presenteeism is when an employee is still working despite having reduced productivity because of an illness, injury or other condition.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
“The economic impact of employees being unwell is huge for organizations,” Taylor said. “But there’s also a really big opportunity, which is just knowing that when we’re feeling our best, we’re best positioned to show up well. If employers have employees who are feeling well supported or cared for, and have opportunities to resolve issues that they might be facing in their lives, they’re going to have a better chance of showing up for work, be more productive, be happier and be more engaged.”
Other digital mental health companies include Headspace Health, Spring Health, Lyra Health and Modern Health.
Photo credit: Olga Strelnikova, Getty Images
