Dr. Migliori Mental Health Detailed Video Transcript
[UnitedHealthcare logo]
[Mental Health and COVID-19]
[Together, we can find our way forward.]
Unrecognized mental health issues not only represent an untreated disease, where there could be direct consequences of the disease such as self-harm and suicide and the like, but it also interferes with the biological repair of coexisting physical diseases.
[Dr. Richard Migliori – Executive Vice President, Medical Affairs, and Chief Medical Officer, UnitedHealth Group]
We know people with hypertension or diabetes or a variety of things, actually are harder to treat if they are also depressed.
The American employer community is getting very sophisticated on this particular issue.
[Employers are getting sophisticated on mental health issues.]
They are looking at the work absences. They're looking at evidence of direct harm. People with untreated depression and then having to be hospitalized. They're looking at the effects of untreated bipolar disease and violence and a variety of other things that they're seeing. They're seeing a resurgence at many times of chemical dependency and the like.
So, we're seeing employers do the right thing in terms of expanding access to behavioral health benefits, making sure they're at parity, but also expanding the on-ramps to it, such as EAP programs and the like.
[Employee Assistance Program]
Plus, you know, they're also becoming better in the worksite of training supervisors and the like to see the tell-tale signs of something being amiss.
The other thing they should be paying attention to, is when all of a sudden somebody's stable medical benefit consumption goes out of kilter and being indicative of coexisting mental health diseases overshadowing what's going on with their physical health needs.
[Connecting shifts in physical health to mental health needs.]
When people stop becoming compliant, when people start having work absences related to physical illness; well, did the physical disease get worse, or did they have a mental health issue come back and complicate their ability to manage those physical things?
[Together, we can find our way forward.]
[UnitedHealthcare logo]
[Disclaimers]
The information contained herein is not medical or clinical advice, nor is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Commentary is for general informational purposes only.
The material provided through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is for informational purposes only. EAP staff cannot diagnose problems or suggest treatment. EAP is not a substitute for your doctor’s care. Employees are encouraged to discuss with their doctor how the information provided may be right for them. Your health information is kept confidential in accordance with the law. EAP is not an insurance program and may be discontinued at any time. Due to the potential for a conflict of interest, legal consultation will not be provided on issues that may involve legal action against UnitedHealthcare or its affiliates, or any entity through which the caller is receiving these services directly or indirectly (e.g., employer or health plan). This program and its components may not be available in all states or for all group sizes and is subject to change. Coverage exclusions and limitations may apply.
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