What was the catalyst for the partnership between Shoppers and SilverCloud? 

MR: We know through our research talking with many different consultants, advisors and employers, and seeing it in our own organization, that mental health today is a Number One concern in the workplace. Our partnership with SilverCloud allows us to offer employers a solution that will help move the needle by improving the mental health and wellbeing of Canadians.

How is SilverCloud’s online cognitive behavioural therapy platform different from other CBT programs delivered over the Internet?

KC: SilverCloud is built on several decades of research into how to deliver mental healthcare through an online environment. The platform’s breadth and depth brings into a corporate environment a solution that covers a wide spectrum of care – from wellness, resilience and stress management all the way to core interventions for depression and anxiety. What’s also key is our ability to deliver this platform on a large scale, in a way that’s secure, easy to access, cost-effective and clinically validated to improve outcomes.

How do you think the program can help reduce, perhaps even eliminate, the stigma around mental health?

MR: One of the neat things about SilverCloud is it’s completely confidential – no reporting goes back to employers on any specific individual. When a plan member engages with the platform, they create a profile that can be completely anonymous. This ability to participate in a confidential and anonymous way helps people who are concerned about how other people might perceive them because of their mental health.

KC: The fact that you can use SilverCloud for different levels of mental health challenges, and that you can access tools as part of your day-to-day, makes a big difference. You’ll have certain people who will put up their hand and say I’m being challenged by this issue so I’m using SilverCloud for journaling. That brings mental health out into the open and can help those who are dealing with hidden challenges feel they’re not alone. We’ve even had one CEO who posted a letter saying he himself has used SilverCloud and is recommending it to employees.

Can you walk us through how SilverCloud would work for a user?

KC: Sure, this is how it works: First, users select the program or take an assessment quiz which can help suggest a program that best fits their needs. They then begin with an introductory video that explains what to expect over the course of six to eight weeks. Most users access the program – which is delivered through text, audio and video – once a week, just like with a therapist, and use practical tools to help them get better. What is great as well is during the course of the program, there is a human coach to guide and support them online. Finally, even when the program is finished, users can still access the tools when they need support.

What objections and concerns do you expect to encounter from employers and employees?

MR: Employers considering new solutions often ask: What’s the return on investment? That’s why we’ve chosen to provide SilverCloud to plan sponsors in Canada. The SilverCloud solution is tremendous, with the strongest platform in the industry and results that are pretty compelling. We see employers increasing psychiatrist and psychologist coverage in their health plans, but while that does address the cost issue there’s still the problem of access to mental health care. With SilverCloud, you’re giving your employees the broadest access possible in the most convenient and cost-effective way.

Can you quantify the results clients have achieved by using SilverCloud?

KC: The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) has found that the average rate of recovery through traditional CBT methods is between 45 per cent and 49 per cent. By comparison, NHS shows that program users have a recovery rate of between 57 per cent and 62 per cent. From a workplace perspective, data shows you can get a 12 per cent net increase in productivity and a return of between $3 to $5 for every dollar spent on similar programs.

What do you want employers and employees to know about SilverCloud’s digital – CBT platform?

MR: We want benefits consultants and HR Leaders to realize that simply increasing the dollar amount of mental health benefits only helps address the cost barrier. Unfortunately, it doesn’t help move the needle on stigma or access. Employers need more affordable, easily scalable ways to improve mental health in the workplace. SilverCloud’s platform is an effective way to address these barriers. There’s a lot of robust data around it, so much so that Ontario Shores, a leading mental health hospital, was the first to bring this to Canada in 2019. In the U.K., physicians actually recommend SilverCloud to patients and can give them a prescription for it. At Shoppers Drug Mart, all of our pharmacy owners and their teams have full access to it too.

KC: Mental health is everything – it’s the reason we hold down a job and have a family, it’s how we interact within every part of our lives. We need to look after mental health as part of our everyday in
the workplace and make it a positive part of the watercooler conversation. Providing digital mental health solutions with proven outcomes is one step in the right direction. With SilverCloud, employees can now have easy, everyday access to mental health programs that can deliver measurable change.