TAL, a leading Australian life insurance specialist, today announced the launch of BEACN - an online preventative health program that helps people personally navigate their mental wellbeing.
Developed by TAL's Innovation team, alongside research partner, University of Sydney Brain and Mind Centre, BEACN helps people understand and manage their current mental wellbeing by identifying contributing risk factors and providing specific recommendations to address these risk factors while supporting their overall wellbeing.
Dan Taylor, TAL General Manager, Member Engagement & Innovation, said BEACN provides TAL's superannuation fund partners with a tool that aims to help their member base become more aware of their mental health and minimise the impact of mental health conditions.
"With one in two Australians affected by a mental health condition in their lifetime , TAL is focused on how we can empower people to proactively manage their mental wellbeing. We see firsthand the impact mental health conditions can have on our superannuation fund partners' members, and we want to support them by providing practical, evidence-based resources.
'"An abundance of tools and applications exist that target mental health, and our research showed that people find it challenging to understand which resources are evidence-based and the most relevant for them.
"By partnering with trusted voices in mental health such as the University of Sydney Brain and Mind Centre, as well as evidenced-based mental health support services, BEACN provides a simple and effective way to engage superannuation fund members on their wellbeing," he said.
TAL Head of Mental Health, Glenn Baird, added, "We believe in the importance of holistic health at TAL, for us that means physical, mental and financial health. Our most recent program, BEACN, helps people identify their mental health blind spots and offers tailored support based on their needs. It was great to collaborate with the University of Sydney on this work, creating a program that aims to make a real difference when it comes to mental health prevention."
BEACN works by guiding members through a short questionnaire and giving them a current mental wellbeing score. Based on their responses, members will be provided with evidence-based resources from trusted organisations such as Hello Sunday Morning to help them self-manage and improve their mental health outcomes. Members can also choose to anonymously contribute to research conducted by the University of Sydney's Brain & Mind Centre around the mental wellbeing of Australians.
BEACN has initially launched with one of TAL's superannuation fund partners, UniSuper, and it will continue to evolve and extend to other superannuation fund partners in future.
UniSuper CEO, Kevin O'Sullivan, said, "We welcome this initiative and are delighted to be able to offer this service to our members. BEACN adds new levels of engagement to the insurance process, while supporting and enhancing the mental wellbeing of our members."
