Enterprise mental wellness platform MindFi and Fitbit (now part of Google) have undertaken a pilot study to assess the impact of using a combined fitness wearable device and health app mindset on users.
Their 10-week study engaged around 100 public school teachers in Singapore and assessed their progress and lifestyle changes, including activity level, sleep and heart rate.
RESULTS
According to the survey, six out of 10 participants said they were dealing with high levels of emotional exhaustion, while more than 50% would have moderate to high levels of stress before the start of a new school term.
When they started using the combined health technology solutions, 60% of participants saw a significant improvement in their overall well-being and 42% said their physical health had improved.
The study also found that 54% reported better sleep quality and 45% showed an improvement in their resting heart rate.
In terms of mental health, depressive symptoms decreased in 58% of participants; 57% said they were able to cope better with their workload.
At the end of the study, 68% of teachers said they would recommend the integrated MindFi and Fitbit solutions to their colleagues.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT
Local counseling service Singapore Counseling Center conducted a survey last year where they found that among more than 1,000 teachers, around 80% said their job had had a negative impact on their mental health during the pandemic. They cited long working hours – more than 45 hours a week – as one reason. More than 60% of participants also mentioned that their physical health was failing while 33% said they had become ill.
THE GREAT TREND
In an effort to support the mental well-being of overworked and burnt-out teachers, the Ministry of Education, in conjunction with the Ministry of Health’s Office for Healthcare Transformation, launched an online portal in late August that offers tips and strategies for managing their mental health. health and resolve workload issues. Called Mindline at Work for the MOE, the online resource complements ongoing initiatives such as health screenings and wellness talks to support teacher health.
REGISTRATION
The latest research from MindFi and Fitbit has shown that an integrated wearable app and mental health solution could empower users to self-manage their overall health and wellbeing.
“With increasing levels of stress and burnout over the past two years, these results are further evidence of the important role that wearable technologies and wellness solutions can play in driving change. positive behavior in populations,” said Steve Morley, director of Fitbit Health Solutions International. and APAC.
“The exciting results of our pilot study show that physical and mental health are closely linked. Specifically, it shows that the future of mental health is to integrate it into our daily lifestyles through devices such as devices laptops,” noted MindFi Founder and CEO Bjorn Lee. . The study, he also mentioned, focused on the change companies need to make in their HR policies.