For the second year running, Atlas Insurance is raising awareness on the importance of mental health. During the month of October, employees as well as clients of the insurance firm will be involved in a number of initiatives as part of its Mental Health Awareness Month.
World Mental Health Day is being marked today and this year it takes on added significance given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the radical changes it has brought to everyone’s lives.
Together with ICAS International, Atlas is promoting a 30-day Mental Health Challenge Calendar. This is a month-long initiative to promote mental health, during which Atlas will be sharing a daily challenge with information and tips on its social media platforms on how to better take care of oneself and each other. The challenges are intended to improve mental wellness, raise awareness and fight the stigma of mental health.
ICAS is a global international Employee Assistance Programme that provides unlimited direct access 24/7 to psychologists for employees and their families, as well as local face-to-face counselling, legal and financial helplines and support for HR and line managers. Atlas Healthcare has recently introduced ICAS International in Malta.
ICAS estimates that around 300 million people across the globe suffer from depression every year and that 15 per cent of the world’s adult population will experience depression at some point in their life. Moreover, around 260 million people around the world suffer from anxiety disorders. Only a third of people with mental health seek help from professionals, according to ICAS.
During October, Atlas employees will be taking part in a number of initiatives including webinars as well as a social club activity.
A webinar for clients on ‘Managing Worry in Uncertain Times’ will be held on Wednesday, October 14, and is free for Atlas corporate clients and members of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry. The interactive webinar will be run by an ICAS International Masters Level clinician and introduced by Atlas Healthcare.
“We firmly believe in the importance of mental well-being of our colleagues for our continued survival and many of our clients feel the same way. The advent of COVID-19 has brought about new challenges and realities for all of us, and this is the reason why we took the opportunity to invest so much energy in this theme,” Catherine Calleja, managing director at Atlas Healthcare, said.
She added: “As part of our recently-signed partnership agreement with the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, Atlas Insurance has sponsored the formation of a newly-established cross-sectoral Health and Wellness Committee. With the formation of this committee, the business community stands to benefit from a better exchange of insights and policies between various stakeholders, so as to raise the bar in terms of the importance of work-life balance and the physical and psychological well-being of employees and businesses.”