CHICAGO, Sept. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TELUS Health today released its monthly TELUS Mental Health Index, revealing that two-in-five workers in the US are unfamiliar with the purpose of an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – also known as an Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) – and what it offers. The Index also found that despite no cost to workers, 24 percent of those surveyed cite cost as a major barrier in using EAPs. Workers who reported being familiar with an EAP and what it offers had a higher mental health score than those who did not.

“Employee Assistance Programs provide a wealth of mental health resources and support for employees and their families, but the fact that 38 percent of workers don’t understand the purpose of these programs creates a significant gap in utilization,” said Juggy Sihota, Chief Growth Officer, TELUS Health. “While EAPs have existed for a long time, we also cannot assume employees understand how to access or use them. Companies can demonstrate stronger support for their employees’ wellbeing by offering a steady stream of education and information about EAPs to address this gap, to help drive utilization and to increase productivity.”

Underutilization of EAPs directly linked to lack of awareness among employees.

• One third (33 percent) of workers are familiar with EAPs, while 29 percent have heard of them, but don’t know what they offer.
• Workers who know what an EAP is and what it offers have a mental health score four points higher (73.7) than workers who are not familiar with EAPs (69.7).
• Among workers who would not use or are uncertain if they would use an EAP, 34 percent do not know what it covers, 21 percent are concerned about confidentiality, and 20 percent do not know how to access the service.
• Workers who said they were concerned about cost have a mental health score of 62.9.

There is a significant disparity between workers’ perceptions of their access to benefits and the reality of the situation. Despite 62 percent of workers stating that they do not have access to an EAP, a survey conducted in 2023 by the International Foundation of Employee Benefits Plans revealed that 81 percent of US employers were offering an EAP.

Perceived affordability barrier impacting workers’ access to support.

• The mental health scores of workers reporting affordability as a barrier to accessing mental health support is 24 points lower than workers reporting no barriers and 13 points below the national average.
• Workers under 40 are two times more likely than workers over 50 to have reported affordability as a barrier to accessing mental health support.
• Workers earning under $100,000 per year are 70 percent more likely to not use an EAP due to cost concerns than those earning over $100,000 per year.

“When people become aware of the opportunity to access free, confidential counselling through an Employee Assistance Program, they are often thrilled. They also deeply appreciate the support their organization provides for this service,” said Paula Allen, Global Leader, Research & Client Insights, TELUS Health. “Many are not aware that the offerings in an EAP extend far beyond counseling to include resources like financial, legal and family support, as well as round-the-clock crisis support available throughout the year. While an EAP serves as a fundamental resource, we’ve gone the extra mile by introducing Total Mental Health – a solution that offers everything in an EAP plus care navigation and sustained guided support on a long-term basis. With an EAP and Total Mental Health, the support available to employees is better than it ever has been, but the challenge of widespread awareness remains.”

The TELUS Mental Health Index score of US workers in August is 71.1, a one-point increase over July.

The August TELUS Mental Health Index also includes findings related to employees who are caregivers, and insights into workplace vacation policies. Read the full US TELUS Mental Health Index report findings here.

About the TELUS Mental Health Index
The survey by TELUS Health was conducted through an online survey from August 4 and August 18, 2023, with 5,000 US respondents. All respondents were employed within the last six months. The data has been statistically weighted to ensure the regional and gender composition of the sample reflects this population.

The TELUS Mental Health Index is based on a response scoring system that then turns individual responses into point values. Higher point values are associated with better mental health and less mental health risk. Scores between 0 to 49 correspond with distress levels, scores between 50 to 79 correspond with strain levels and scores between 80 to 100 correspond with optimal levels of mental health.

About TELUS Health

TELUS Health is a global healthcare leader serving people in more than 160 countries delivering both digital innovation and clinical services to improve total physical, mental and financial health and wellness across the full spectrum of primary and preventive care. By leveraging the power of technology to deliver connected solutions and services both in-person and virtually, TELUS Health is improving access to care and revolutionizing the flow of information while facilitating collaboration, efficiency, and productivity for physicians, pharmacists, health authorities, allied healthcare professionals, insurers, employers and people globally, progressing its vision of transforming healthcare and empowering people to live healthier lives.

Our clinical team is composed of renowned and passionate health professionals around the world delivering best-in-class people-centric care to hundreds of thousands of employers, professionals and their families.

For more information, please visit: www.telushealth.com.

Media contact:
Marielle Hossack

TELUS Media Relations
marielle.hossack@telus.com

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In a candid and heartfelt post, former One Direction star Liam Payne has recently opened up about his struggles with mental health. 

The 29-year-old singer revealed that he was diagnosed with a “couple of conditions” following his time in a wellness clinic in the United States.

Keep on reading to learn more.

Liam Payne Opens Up About His ‘Manic’ Mental Health Challenge

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Payne, who rose to fame as a member of the popular boy band One Direction, has been relatively private about his battles, but he chose to speak out to raise awareness about mental health issues and share his struggles with fans.

Via his Instagram stories, the singer shared his journey toward seeking help and his ongoing commitment to prioritizing his mental well-being after he was diagnosed with “a couple of conditions.”

Payne, who spent some time at a US clinic after hitting “rock bottom,” noted that he had filmed the video severally but struggled to post it before deciding to share it with fans.

Instagram | Liam Payne

“So I mean, I filmed a bunch of these over time and deleted them, but I don’t know whether this is the right time,” he shared. “I know in my last video I mentioned I’d been diagnosed with a couple of conditions, and not to go into too much detail, but one of them I have is, there’s a lot of manic things in my life which you guys saw.”

He continued, “But the other side of it is, and that kind of feels like when I would lose my sobriety in these moments that were super low, and I felt like that today.”

“And it’s isolating the two things and seeing them separately and like I know what they are now.”

Liam Payne Wants To Inspire Others

Instagram | Liam Payne

Payne shared his struggle to inspire others who may be facing similar difficulties. He spoke candidly about the impact his mental health challenges had on his life and emphasized that seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

“I’m coming to see how fortunate I am to be in the position I’m in… and I wanna give any of you struggling the gift I was given by sharing some of the things I learned from specialists while I was away,” Payne shared.

He went on, “First thing I did every day was check in, and it’s important you don’t bottle up how you feel. The feeling is one of the amazing gifts we had, and I blocked things up so long it made me sick and lash out… notice it, allow it to happen, and let it pass through.”

“I hope this helps,” he added.

Liam Payne Apologizes For ‘Cringe’ Comments Made About One Direction

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According to Entertainment Weekly, Payne issued an apology for his previous remarks about his former band, One Direction, calling them “cringe.” He expressed regret for his criticism and acknowledged that his comments stemmed from what he was going through at the time.

Payne candidly acknowledged that the criticism of his former bandmates was a result of his insecurities and that he had to enter rehab amid the whole debacle.

“A lot of what I said came from the wrong place. I was so angry at what was going on around me, and instead of taking a look inwards, I decided to look outwards at everybody else, and I took it out on everybody else, which is just wrong,” Payne shared.

He added, “[Because of] my own frustrations with my own career and where I kind of landed, I took shots at everybody else, which is wrong, so obviously I want to apologize for that in the first instance because that’s definitely not me.”

He Is Nearly Six Months Sober

In a recent video he shared on YouTube, Payne revealed that he had achieved nearly six months of sobriety after completing a 100-day stint in rehab. Payne spoke candidly about his decision to seek help and his ongoing commitment to maintaining a sober lifestyle, stating that “the party’s over” for him.

“I just kind of feel like I’ve got more of a grip on life and everything that was getting away from me, I just feel like I’ve got more of a handle on it,” he said.

“I just needed to take a little bit of time out for myself actually because I kind of became somebody who I didn’t really recognize anymore. And I’m sure you guys didn’t either. I was in bad shape up until that point, and I was really happy to kind of put a stopper to life and work,” he added.

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Last year, nutritionist and celebrity chef Serena Poon CN, CHC, CHN partnered with leading longevity pro, Professor David A. Sinclair, A.O., Ph.D. to found Fully Aligned Co. The research-based organization has one mission: to democratize access to the education and tools required to optimize longevity.

Wellness can be overwhelming and the longevity space is evolving quickly as continual research promises to change the way we approach our health. In fact, Sinclair says in his latest book, Lifespan, “I believe that aging is a disease. I believe it is treatable. I believe we can treat it within our lifetimes. And in doing so, I believe, everything we know about human health will be fundamentally changed.”

With that in mind, we asked Serena to share the most meaningful wellness habits she adheres to now. Her list of non-negotiables cuts through the noise of endless wellness tips and options we find online and brings us back to the basics, as so many longevity pros do.

11 Important Wellness Habits To Adopt Right Now

01 Hydrate | Every cell in your body is made up of water, and all your systems run better if you stay hydrated. I usually recommend that people drink their body weight in ounces each day (so if you weigh 120 lbs, you would drink 120 oz of water each day). I start my day with about 24-30 ounces of warm water with fresh lemon. The warm water serves to stimulate the gastrointestinal tract and peristalsis to keep things moving, while lemons help loosen ama, or toxins, in the digestive tract and quickly flush out these unwanted materials. Read Next: 7 Cute Alternatives To The Ubiquitous Stanley Travel Tumbler

02 Eat The Rainbow | “Eating the rainbow” is really the best and simplest piece of nutrition advice. The color of fruits and veggies correlates to different antioxidants, nutrients, or phytochemicals that will provide your body with various benefits. Challenge yourself to eat a fruit or vegetable of every color each day and try to switch up the list on a regular basis. Read Next: 6 Gorgeous Cookbooks That’ll Put You In A Warm Weather Mood

03 Meditate | Meditating is proven to help you control your behavior. Rather than responding from an emotional place, you can train your brain through meditative practices to react calmly, rationally, and more meaningfully. These cognitive states that you can learn help to reduce stress and cellular aging. Read Next: Are You Afraid To Be Happy? 3 Surprising Truths About Meditation

04 Incorporate Regular Movement | Exercise is an important component of a healthy lifestyle. Moving your body regularly helps to boost mood, get the blood and oxygen flowing through your body and increases perceived energy levels better than a dose of caffeine. Exercise also supports heart health, bone health, mental health, and so much more. I definitely recommend that people make movement of some sort a habit. Read Next: The Sculpt Society’s Megan Roup Shares Her Popular Quickie Workout

05 Put Your Body into Perceived Adversity | When we refer to adversity and threats, this type of healthy stress or restriction protects the body by turning on longevity genes and pathways. Fasting is just one type of adversity; there are other methods like hot and cold therapy, cryotherapy, exercise, sauna, and hypoxia that also have these positive effects. Read Next: Is The DIY Plunge Pool the New Hot Tub? 

06 Breathe | Breathing is a necessary and often subconscious activity, but taking time to focus on your breath can be a life-changing practice. Deep breathing exercises have been shown to increase energy, relaxation and comfort and reduce anxiety, depression, anger, and confusion. Further, deep breathing activates the body’s parasympathetic nervous system, which can calm a stress response quite quickly. One thing that is great about breathing exercises is that you can do many of them anywhere. Read Next: 5 Unexpected Things That Happen To Your Body When You Practice Breathwork

07 Sleep | Sleep is, without question, one of the most restorative non-negotiables for a healthy, optimal lifestyle. A good night’s sleep allows your body to detox, refresh and reset. There are toxins that accumulate in your brain and your organs, throughout the course of the day, that you detox when you sleep and release when you wake. Simply put, a good night’s sleep helps you function more optimally spiritually, cognitively, physiologically, and emotionally. Getting too little sleep can disrupt eating habits, mood, mental health, and more. Read Next: Do Women Really Need More Sleep Than Men?

08 Nurture Relationships | Keeping up with your real-life social relationships correlates to a longer life. You may have already discovered that there are healthy and unhealthy relationships a part of your life right now. Those people and your connectedness to them affect your energy and overall health. Read Next: He Said, She Said: Laird Hamilton + Gabby Reece On Secrets To A Happy Marriage

09 Try a Digital Detox | Setting aside your phone and computer for a while releases your body and mind from constant stimulation. The light and electromagnetic frequencies emitted from computers and phones have been shown to disrupt sleep cycles, and sleep is one of the most important factors for mental, physical, and emotional health. Turn off your phone and head outside to balance out your week of screens with connection to the natural world.

10 Get Outside Once a Day | There are numerous benefits to spending time outside, one of which is increasing vitamin D intake. Vitamin D is really important for immune health, bone health, and chronic disease prevention, and more and most people are not getting enough. Read Next: 7 Fitnesswear Sets We Can’t Wait To Wear 

11 Practice Mindfulness | Incorporating mindfulness into your daily routine can truly transform your life. Mindfulness has been shown to decrease stress and anxiety, improve physical health and boost the immune system among many other benefits. Mindfulness is not just about meditation, mindfulness practices can be applied to any aspect of your life. You can be mindful about how you schedule your time, mindful about when you are approaching burnout, and mindful about which foods give you energy or make you feel lethargic. To begin incorporating mindfulness into your workday, all you have to do is start to notice what is happening around you and inside of you. You may even want to keep a journal to record what you observe. Read Next: How To Start A Bullet Journal + Use It To Stay Sane

What are your wellness non-negotiables? Tell us below.

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Brittany Snow has been taking her own advice. 

The 37-year-old actress, who is starring in The Good Half with Nick Jonas, spoke about the importance of self-care on the red carpet of the movie’s premiere Thursday.

In a new interview with People, she opened up about how she’s been doing since filing for divorce from husband, Tyler Stanaland, 33, in January. 

The couple married in March 2020 and announced their separation in September 2022.  

‘I think everybody goes through really tough periods and then it’s all in our perspective and how we deal with it, right?’ said the Almost Family star.

Advice: Brittany Snow has been taking her own advice about self-care  in dealing with her divorce from Selling the OC star Tyler Stanaland. ‘Nobody’s immune to tough periods in their life. And, all I’m trying to do is focus on myself and tune out the noise,’ she told People

‘Because nobody’s immune to tough periods in their life. And, all I’m trying to do is focus on myself and tune out the noise.’

Brittany, who co-authored the book September Letters: Finding Strength and Connection in Sharing Our Stories with her friend Jaspre Guest, explained that her friends really came through for her in her time of need. 

‘In the past year I went through probably the hardest mental health challenge I’ve ever faced.’ the Someone Great actress told Bustle. 

‘In one day, in a matter of hours, my life turned completely upside down. I was blindsided and everything I thought I knew, held sacred and truly trusted in my life was completely different.’

The turmoil only increased when, ‘a couple days later my grandmother passed away and I think every thing I knew about mental health was tested.

‘Thank God for my friends. I don’t know if I would have made it without them. They reminded me who I was and the things I stood for.’

Brittany revealed one of her Pitch Perfect co-stars was instrumental in her getting to the other side of her heartache.

‘The last year has been really tricky for me, and one of the girls, I just, you know, opened up her door and I just fell down to the ground and just cried and laid there. And she basically nursed me back to health for like four days.’

Timeline: Brittany and Tyler married in March 2020 and separated in September 2022. The actress filed for divorce in January

 Healing: A Pitch Perfect co-star was instrumental in helping her heal from heartache. ‘I just, you know, opened up her door and I just fell down to the ground and just cried and laid there. And she basically nursed me back to health for like four days’ she told Bustle

The Good Half: Brittany stars in The Good Half with Matt Walsh,  Nick Jonas, Elizabeth Shue, and David Arquette, seen here with director Robert Schwartzman. She said it’s ‘truly a special movie… that tackles grief is such a funny, nuanced and unexpected way’

‘And it wasn’t the one that I thought was going to be able to do that, either. I think that’s what’s really important about this book, knowing that a thing you can have in your toolkit is a community of friends that will just sit with you on the floor.’ 

‘They don’t need to give you advice. They don’t need to fix it for you. They just are there.’ 

Brittany’s film, The Good Half, co-stars Nick Jonas, Elizabeth Shue and David Arquette. 

Writing about her experience on Instagram, Brittany said this of the dramady: ‘This is truly a special movie. I’m so proud to be a part of a film that tackles grief is such a funny, nuanced and unexpected way.’

‘Congrats to (director) Robert Schwartzman & (writer) Brett Ryland for showing us your hearts,’ she concluded.

The actress had praise for her on-screen family, including the guy who stars as her brother.

‘Nick Jonas. I’m not sure how one human can be any more talented but he does it all & will blow you away,’ the star raved.

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Kevin Smith is no stranger to talking about Kevin Smith.

But the Jersey director just presented a series of revelations about himself and his history of trauma as a result of recent treatment at a mental health facility.

“In the parlance of our times, I went crazy,” he says in a 34-minute video for People magazine (see below). “I lost my marbles.”

“I had a complete break with reality and became very dissociative,” Smith says.

In seeking treatment for a January mental health crisis at Sierra Tucson, an Arizona mental health facility, Smith, 52, unearthed past trauma in the form of childhood sexual abuse.

The “Clerks” director, who grew up in Highlands, says that when he was 6, an older child he didn’t know forced him and a 6-year-old girl who was his friend to put their mouths on each other’s genitals.

Smith says the older child intended to make the two younger kids do the same to him until an adult walked past the alley where they were.

“I went home and never said anything because I was scared and humiliated and ashamed,” he says.

While he has since told the story, he always framed it as “I played doctor when I was a kid.”

It wasn’t until he related the incident to a therapist at Sierra Tucson that he realized it was sexual abuse. The therapist explained to him that since it involved a third party and was against his will, it was abuse, and that he had explained it away as something harmless as a coping mechanism.

“Everyone suffers trauma and then tries to keep it small in order to survive,” says Smith, who underwent EMDR — eye movement desensitization and reprocessing — therapy at the facility.

He also says that on reflection, the incident of childhood sexual abuse from when he was 6 shaped who he would become — a director. In essence, someone who could be in charge, to prevent anyone from victimizing him like that again.

The director, known for his New Jersey-set View Askewniverse films, goes on to share another traumatic incident from his childhood.

“I grew up an era that when if you cried, people would be like ‘I’ll give you something to cry about,’” Smith says.

When he was 9, two of his grandparents died, his dad was in a car accident and his mother was in the hospital. The same year, when he was in fourth grade at Catholic school Our Lady of Perpetual Help, a teacher made a comment about his body in front of the class.

“Ugh, the gut on you, Mr. Smith,” she told him with a look of disgust.

The comment devastated the young Smith.

On another occasion, a teenager hurled a body-shaming remark at Smith when he was at a water slide in Long Branch.

“Stop, pregnant ladies can’t ride the slide,” said the teen, who was supervising the slide.

The “Clerks III” director says he’s still tempted to minimize such an event, but now knows all trauma is trauma — the body and mind do not discriminate in their response.

“Even now, I want to discount it,” Smith says, but he now knows these comments contributed to his body dysmorphia.

“I see myself as disgusting,” he says.

Smith lost more than 50 pounds and embraced a vegan diet after suffering a near-fatal “widow maker” heart attack in 2018. The director says he was once 330 pounds and now weighs 180 pounds.

“I still see a fat 9-year-old kid because that’s all those two people (the teen at the water slide and the teacher) saw,” Smith says.

The director says he became a people pleaser and entertainer to distract people from criticizing his body and act as another survival mechanism. When he found success with “Clerks” in 1994, he started presenting a different version of himself he calls “the other guy,” a figure he says he invented back when he was 9.

Kevin Smith in Red Bank in September. He says he experienced burnout as a result of his hectic “Clerks III” tour schedule and the general tendency to be working all the time. Julian Leshay | For NJ Advance Media

When Smith set out to tour with “Clerks III” in 2022 — he launched the tour in Red Bank in September — he was rushing around and didn’t have time for mental health. He says “the other guy” was the one facing the public during the tour because he has never been able to validate himself. All of his validation has come from other people, his audience and the public.

“I have never really loved myself,” he says. “I abjectly loathe myself. I love the other guy.”

As a result, he made being Kevin Smith its own job. The downside of that was that he was constantly working.

“I burned out over time,” he says.

When he tried to find himself behind this “other guy,” Smith was dismayed to realize he could not, and that’s what triggered the mental health crisis, he says.

“I was convinced that I’d stopped existing.”

Since he was 38, Smith turned to marijuana to numb himself all day long, to prevent himself from being alone with his thoughts. He recently quit weed in favor of being “in the moment.”

The director says treatment at the Arizona facility saved his life.

He encourages anyone listening to his message to seek help for their trauma, too. Smith wants to be as open about the recent mental health news as he was about his heart attack.

“I just went through a thing that I think a lot of people go through but nobody ever talks about,” he says, introducing the video.

The director started using his SModcastle Cinemas movie theater in Atlantic Highlands to host meetings of Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA), a program he joined to help him with his co-dependency.

While he has connected with other people through the group, Smith intends to step away from connecting so much with everyone online.

He has always been a very online person — since the ’90s, linking with others in this way was another method of seeking validation for him — but Smith says he’ll be be less present on social media.

“I just don’t need your validation anymore,” he says.

People in crisis and those looking to help someone else can call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Call 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.

Thank you for reading. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com and followed at @AmyKup on Twitter.

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