New data released by Vhi has found a 15 per cent increase in the number of its members accessing private psychiatric care in 2022, compared to the pre-pandemic period of 2019. Vhi paid out over €73.6 million in claims for private psychiatric claims in 2022, a significant increase on the pre-pandemic figure of €66.5 million in 2019.
Of those making claims for private mental health care from Vhi in 2022, over one in five (22 per cent ) have availed of their treatment programmes from private hospitals through virtual offerings including digital mediums such as Teams, Zoom, WhatsApp and Webex.
When broken down by age, the data shows that the growing demand for mental health services is more pronounced among people under the age of 30. Since 2019 there has been a 28 per cent increase in the number of claims made by members under 30 for private psychiatric care. The majority of these (27 per cent ) accessed care remotely through psychiatric hospitals.
In the under 30 age cohort, the data shows that more women than men are accessing help to manage their mental health. Nearly two thirds of mental health claims (63 per cent ) for care in 2022 were made by women, an increase of seven per cent from 2019.
Areas of concern
Vhi also provided some insights into the concerns being raised through Vhi’s Employees Assistance Programme. So far this year the top three areas people are seeking support for include general stress and anxiety, marriage and relationships, and bereavement. Work-related stress is another area where people are seeking support with the stress resulting from people's roles, their relationships at work and the demands of their job.
The data was released by Vhi to coincide with an event hosted by Vhi to mark World Mental Health Day earlier this month.
“While more adults are prioritising mental health and wellbeing in their daily lives, leaders and employers can continue to do more to make mental health a priority in the workplace," Anne O'Connor, managing director, Vhi Health & Wellbeing, said at the event. "By bringing together clinical experts and senior leaders to mark World Mental Health Day, we can all champion mental health in the workplace and better support wellbeing for a healthy, resilient workforce in a rapidly evolving world of work.”
