The state’s largest health plan is also hosting a free Bluebikes Spin Class as part of “Mindful Mondays” to celebrate National Wellness Month

BOSTON, Aug. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — In recognition of National Wellness Month, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (“Blue Cross”) is sponsoring free Bluebikes Adventure Passes every Monday in August, beginning August 7, for its third annual “Mindful Mondays” initiative, and is also hosting a free Spin Class on August 28th – the last Monday of the month – to encourage people in the Metro-Boston region to exercise and take care of their mental health. The free Adventure Passes will be available across the system’s 13 municipalities, including Arlington, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford, Newton, Revere, Salem, Somerville, and Watertown. Blue Cross is the sponsor of Bluebikes, which is owned by the municipalities and operated by Lyft.

Riders can take advantage of complimentary Adventure Passes on “Mindful Mondays” by downloading and opening the Bluebikes App and entering the appropriate code. Each code will unlock one free Adventure Pass, which includes an unlimited number of two-hour rides during a 24-hour period. The codes for each Monday are as follows:

• August 7: BLUECROSS0807
• August 14: BLUECROSS0814
• August 21: BLUECROSS0821
• August 28: BLUECROSS0828

To honor their commitment to providing access to wellness-oriented experiences in support of whole health journeys, BCBSMA is also hosting a free 60-minute Bluebikes Spin Class on August 28th. The class will be first come first serve, open to the public, and will take place at Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park in Boston. Rev’d instructor, Alyssa Pannozzi, will be leading the class, who is also known for their dedication to enhancing mental and physical health.  

Biking can help put us in a mindful state – reducing stress, improving your mental and physical health, and even increasing your overall happiness in life, according to Health News. Taking 20-30 minutes away to concentrate solely on exercise can rejuvenate mood and lessen anxiety.

“National Wellness Month serves as a valuable reminder of the crucial role that mental health plays in one’s overall wellbeing,” said Jeff Bellows, vice president of corporate citizenship and public affairs at Blue Cross. “For the third year in a row, we’re promoting healthy communities and the power of mindfulness with our ‘Mindful Mondays’ initiative, and we hope Metro Boston residents can get outside, practice mindfulness and enjoy the whole-body benefits of a Bluebikes ride.”

Blue Cross has been the title sponsor of Bluebikes since its launch in May 2018. Through its partnership with the municipal owners of Bluebikes, Blue Cross continues to support system growth and accessibility, including station expansions, upgrades, and additional bikes.

About Bluebikes
Bluebikes is public transportation by bike. The system is jointly owned and managed by the Cities of Boston, Cambridge, Everett, Salem, and Somerville and the Town of Brookline. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is the system’s title sponsor. Riders can find 455 stations and 4,000 bikes across 13 municipalities in Metro Boston. Since 2011, more than 20 million trips have been taken by bike share. For more information about Bluebikes, visit bluebikes.com 

About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (bluecrossma.org) is a community-focused, tax-paying, not-for-profit health plan headquartered in Boston. We are committed to the relentless pursuit of quality, affordable and equitable health care with an unparalleled consumer experience. Consistent with our promise to always put our members first, we are rated among the nation’s best health plans for member satisfaction and quality. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

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OAKLAND, Calif. (August 3, 2023) – As students head back to campus for the fall semester, nearly nine out of 10 Gen Z youth say they are experiencing mental health challenges on a regular basis, according to a new nationwide Blue Shield of California/Harris Poll survey.

While 87% say they are struggling with mental health, the majority are also taking steps to improve their well-being: more than three in four (78%) say they have talked about their emotions and mental health with others in the past year, and 71% have used resources to help address mental health challenges. The survey polled over 1,300 youth, aged 14-25. National and California-specific data is available in the summary report. 

“There is a crowded field of voices weighing in on Gen Z’s mental health challenges, but the most important voices are youth themselves,” said David Bond, a licensed clinical social worker and director of Behavioral Health for Blue Shield of California. “For youth who are struggling, I cannot stress enough the importance of feeling seen, understood, and that someone cares about you. Parents, educators, clinicians, and policymakers need to listen to young people with empathy and respond with meaningful action.”

Socio-political issues take a toll, spurring action by youth

The poll asked youth to identify their top socio-political concerns and the mental health impacts of those issues.

• Gun violence was the top concern, with 69% saying they were “very concerned,” and 84% experiencing negative mental health impacts in response to experiencing or hearing about it.
• More than half (54%) of youth were “very concerned” about racism and social injustice. Nearly one-third (32%) of youth of color said that dealing with racism was impacting their mental health to the point of disrupting their daily lives.
• 44% of youth were “very concerned” with climate change, with 68% experiencing negative mental health impacts in response to experiencing or hearing about the issue.

Nearly two in three (65%) Gen Z youth are taking action on socio-political issues, including learning more about racism, advocating against bullying, and choosing brands that support social justice issues. On climate change, three in four (74%) youth are addressing the problem by personally taking a number of actions, including reducing plastic, power, and water use, as well as supporting brands that are sustainable.

“There are definitely times when I feel a sense of hopelessness and a lack of urgency by older generations to solve the big issues of the day,” said Alexa Southall, a 16-year-old high school student in San Diego and a student director with the teen advocacy group Mind Out Loud. “Then I look to my peers, and I see this outright refusal to stay quiet about things that affect us all. That ultimately gives me hope that my generation has what it takes to fix things like global warming and social injustice.”

Personal factors are also having an adverse effect on youth mental health

When asked about family and personal concerns that negatively impact mental health, Gen Z indicated that ”finding a good job” is their top worry, cited by 50% of survey respondents. This was followed by negative body image (42%) and family relationships (40%).

Mental well-being varied significantly between demographic groups, including gender and household income:

• 17% of young women, 26% of transgender youth, and 42% of non-binary youth rated their mental health as “poor,” compared to 9% of young men.
• Lower-income youth felt more challenged, with 20% of youth in households earning less than $30,000 annually rating their mental health as “poor,” compared to 7% of youth in households with income above $96,000. (According to the U.S. Census $30,000 is the federal poverty level for a family of four.)

Youth seek resources, but face barriers in accessing care

A bright spot revealed by the poll is that 93% of youth actively use self-care methods to manage their mental health, most commonly music, movies, and shows. Thirty-five percent engaged in self-help such as meditation, exercise, and deep breathing and 22% connected with a private therapist.

However, youth need better access to professional mental health care, with 61% saying they experienced barriers. The three most common barriers:

• 31% were embarrassed to ask for help or worried about what people will think
• 21% said it was difficult to find someone they can relate to
• 20% believe they cannot afford mental health care

“To help future generations succeed, we need to ensure access to high quality and culturally relevant mental health supports, particularly for youth from marginalized communities. This includes improving mental health care on school campuses and in community centers, as well as bolstering peer support,” said Antoinette Mayer, vice president of Corporate Citizenship and co-founder of BlueSky, Blue Shield of California’s youth mental health initiative. “While it’s encouraging that youth are taking action to improve their emotional well-being, more can be done to reduce stigma and to empower youth to speak up.

Social media has polarizing impacts on mental health

Gen Z youth reported spending an average of 5.6 hours per day on social media with both positive and negative impacts on their mental health.

• 27% said it was helpful, citing major positive impacts from fun/entertainment (48%); learning new things (38%); and meaningful connections with friends/acquaintances (37%).
• 31% said it was harmful, citing major negative impacts from pressure to have an unrealistic body (29%); being exposed to fake news/misinformation (19%); and pressure to have more friends (18%).
• One in four youth (26%) have relied  on social media to help address their mental health.

About the poll and BlueSky

The online survey was conducted by Harris Poll from May 31-June 13, 2023, and asked 1,368 Gen Z youth, aged 14-25, to reflect on their mental health. Click here to download the summary report. The survey is a project of Blue Shield of California’s BlueSky initiative, the nonprofit health plan’s multi-year effort to support youth mental health. BlueSky invests in on-campus and online mental health services, educator training, and youth-driven support and awareness efforts.

About Blue Shield of California

Blue Shield of California strives to create a healthcare system worthy of its family and friends that is sustainably affordable. We are a tax paying, nonprofit, independent member of the Blue Shield Association with over 4.8 million members, over 7,800 employees and more than $24 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 in San Francisco and now headquartered in Oakland, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid, and Medicare healthcare service plans in California.  For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit news.blueshieldca.com. Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.

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Mental Health Awareness Month: Resources for Blue Shield of California Members 

Blue Shield of California has many services available to support members’ mental health. Two of Blue Shield’s featured programs are listed below. Learn more and explore other offerings:

CredibleMind

Introducing the NEW CredibleMind digital platform which provides members a digital access point for mental health resources and care. 

With CredibleMind, members can:

• Complete an assessment to easily locate personalized resources
• Explore services, programs, and resources:
  • Find a behavioral health provider
  • Wellvolution programs such as Headspace and Ginger
  • Teladoc behavioral health (available for Trio members)
  • Youth mental health resources (Blue Sky)
• Browse resources by topic
• Access crisis resources

Members can access CredibleMind without logging in and access resources, articles, and questionnaires. However, if participants want to save questionnaire results, they can opt-in for ongoing engagement including content and topical newsletters that can be created through a CredibleMind account. To learn move about CredibleMind, please visit the website.

Headspace

Headspace offers hundreds of meditations and exercises for stress, focus, sleep, and movement. Learn to meditate and join 70 million members using meditation to improve mental well-being.

• Just 10 days of Headspace can reduce stress by 14%
• Guided meditations on topics such as stress, self-esteem, and resilience
• Sleepcasts, music, and bedtime audio for restful nights
• 1,000+ hours of exercises to help you live your whole day mindfully

Sign up for Headspace by visiting the website.

Mental Health Awareness Month: Resources for Kaiser Members

Prioritizing mental well-being is important. That means living a healthy lifestyle, paying attention to how you feel, and doing simple things to improve your well-being. Kaiser professionals can help with tips, tools, and education to help members prioritize mental health and emotional well-being. Learn more about ways to take care of your mental health with all the resources available.

A Mindful Approach to Wellness

Kaiser Permanente members have access to a range of mental health and addiction care resources. Not sure where to start? Share any concerns with a member of your care team at any time. They’ll connect you to the support you need. Find out more by visiting CalPERS Microsite – Mental Health Resources

Your plan covers a variety of mental health and substance use conditions, including:

• Anxiety and stress
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)/ Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Autism spectrum disorders
• Bipolar disorder/Depression/Postpartum depression
• Eating disorders/Personality disorders
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Schizophrenia
• Sleep problems
• Substance use disorders and addiction

Kaiser members also have access to a wide range of treatment options, including:

• Digital self-help tools
• Healthy lifestyle programs
• Individual and group therapy
• Medication to help manage your condition
• Recovery and social support
• Wellness apps/Wellness coaching (English only)

Self-Care Tools at Your Fingertips

To support your total health, Kaiser Permanente members have access to Calm, myStrength, and Ginger. These wellness apps can help users navigate life’s challenges by making small changes to improve sleep, moods, relationships and more. These options are not intended to replace treatment or advice, but they can help users build resilience, set goals, and take meaningful steps toward becoming healthier and happier. Access the no cost apps or find other helpful resources by visiting kp.org/selfcareapps.

Calm — the #1 app for meditation and sleep — designed to help lower stress, reduce anxiety, and more.

• The Daily Calm, explores a fresh mindful theme each day
• More than 100 guided meditations and sleep stories can soothe users into deeper and better sleep
• Video lessons on mindful movement and gentle stretching

myStrength — A personalized program that helps improve awareness and change behaviors.

• Mindfulness and meditation activities
• Tailored programs for managing depression, stress, anxiety, and more
• Tools for setting goals and preferences, tracking current emotional states and ongoing life events, and viewing progress

Ginger — A one-on-one emotional support coaching app with self-care activities to help with many common challenges.

• 24/7 text-based emotional support coaching
• Discussion of goals, sharing challenges, and creating an action plan with a trained coach
• Self-care resources recommended based on individual needs

Participate in Healthy Lifestyle Programs

Make good health a daily habit with the healthy lifestyle programs. These personalized, online programs can help individuals create an action plan to reach specific health goals. Start today by taking the Total Health Assessment. Based on Total Health Assessment results, user will find advice, encouragement, and tools to make healthier lifestyle choices. Users can come back to these programs at any time to track their progress. Plus, members can set new goals and join additional programs.

Topics include:

• Eating healthy
• Losing weight
• Moving more
• Sleeping better
• Reducing stress
• Quitting smoking

Monthly Challenge – Be a Team Player

The Team Play challenge invites you to join a team of your choice. Whether in person or virtually, members are encouraged to get out there and join a group or team. Choose to join a sports club, gardening group, or book club – you name it, it counts! Joining a team helps keep you accountable. Group activities encourage focus, spontaneity, creativity, and genuine connection with other people. 

Visit CalPERS | Kaiser Permanente for more resources and information. Keep an eye out for the next installment, and we hope you and your workforce have a happy, healthy May!

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