FWD Group Holdings Limited (“FWD Group”) today announced the launch of the Mind Strength Support programme, a first-in-the-market platform to provide individuals with a convenient and confidential way to access digital solutions to strengthen their mental health.

Customers will have complimentary and regular access to a mental health self-assessment questionnaire, after which they will find a set of follow-up options. These include online self-help tools, unlimited text-based coaching and virtual therapy with professionals such as counsellors and clinical psychologists. It is available to customers who have purchased the Mind Strength protection product, which provides extensive medical coverage, from initial diagnosis to ongoing treatment, for designated mental health challenges to ease customers’ financial burdens and support them on their road to recovery.

The launch follows the recent release of FWD Group’s recent international mental health survey, which interviewed more than 10,000 people across 16 international markets.  The survey found that 40% of respondents in Asia say the cost of treatment is the biggest impediment to seeking outside help for mental health care, and 76% of respondents expressed their interest in exploring insurance options to address such challenges. In addition, people in Asia place a higher value on self-help rather than on seeking outside assistance, with only 34% preferring to discuss issues openly with others.

Joanna Chu, Group Head of Product Proposition, FWD Group, highlighted, “At FWD, we believe a holistic approach to building mind strength is needed to help our customers in all aspects of their lives. FWD’s mental health survey demonstrated that there is a growth opportunity for digital mental health solutions across Asia. We are pleased to partner with ThoughtFull as it reinforces FWD’s broader commitment to making insurance more inclusive and accessible by leveraging digital health technologies.” 

FWD Group has engaged ThoughtFull, an Asia focused digital mental health company, to provide FWD's customers with seamless access to mental healthcare tools via its proprietary mobile platform, ThoughtFullChat. FWD’s customers can proactively manage their mental wellness simply by sending a text to their matched qualified professional. Based on the individual’s personally assessed needs, customers are empowered to find their best-fit mental health professional for video therapy, daily one-on-one, bite-sized coaching via text and audio messaging, as well as to engage with dynamic science-backed content and emotional health trackers at their own pace. 

Joan Low, CEO of ThoughtFull, said, "While the importance of mental health has gained greater awareness across Asia since the pandemic, it takes a leading insurer like FWD to integrate access to mental wellness solutions into their customer programmes. As a tech-enabled mental health platform, our solutions are designed to be intuitive, easy-to-use and personalised for our users’ unique needs. It is thus a privilege to be FWD's partner to bridge the many gaps that continue to exist in the mental health ecosystem, and to be working together to make personalised mental healthcare accessible to more people."

The programme was recently launched in Hong Kong and Thailand, with other selected FWD markets to follow in the future.