“Adolescents today suffer from a wide range of mental health problems and our new research is an important red flag, pointing to far-reaching implications for the health and well-being of our families, communities and businesses,” said Cordani. “We have aggressively grown our network of behavioral health providers who treat adolescents by 140% over the last five years and deliberately expanded our virtual care capabilities through MDLIVE and other partners.”
Cigna Corporation and Evernorth, its health services company, commissioned the study from economist impact to further understand the mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescents and their parents. The study was carried out in april 2022 and key findings include:
- Approximately 80% of working parents reported some type of impact on their teens’ mental health as a result of the pandemic, including new or increased levels of anxiety, depression, behavioral problems, and problems with social interactions.
- Nearly one in five working parents reported a negative impact on their job performance and productivity due to concerns about their children’s mental health.
- More than half (55%) of parents reported not having enough support from their employer, and nearly 14% of all respondents reported having to leave the workforce or stay out of the workforce to meet the needs of their parents. teenage children.
- Nearly two-thirds of working parents had difficulty finding a trusted mental health provider in a reasonable amount of time.
Recent data from Evernorth’s pharmacy benefits manager, Express Scripts, confirms these findings. From 2017 to 2021, pharmacy claims data shows a 41% increase in prescriptions for antidepressant medications for children ages 13-19, and a 28% increase for those under 12 years of age.
Evernorth is making behavioral health care and resources more accessible to teens and parents alike through its behavioral health solutions that offer a leading national network of high-quality providers and innovative training solutions to meet the unique needs of customers. Evernorth’s behavioral health network includes virtual providers of MDLIVE who can treat patients as young as 10 years old, along with providers of Positive side, Soul Y conversation space, among others. The network continues to grow to include specialized programs that treat specific behavioral conditions, such as alcohol use disorder and eating disorders.
Evernorth also recently expanded its Caregiver program to help parents address their own needs, while providing support and resources for the care of adolescents with chronic or serious physical and mental health conditions.
The Economist Impact surveyed 1,100 parents of teens ages 13 to 17 in the United States. Read more research findings here.
About Cigna Corporation
Cigna Corporation is a global health services company dedicated to improving the health, well-being and peace of mind of those we serve. Cigna offers choice, predictability, affordability and access to quality care through integrated capabilities and personalized, connected solutions that promote whole person health. All products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, the Evernorth companies or their affiliates, and the Express Scripts companies or their affiliates. Such products and services include an integrated set of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmaceutical, vision, supplemental benefits and other related products.
Cigna maintains sales capacity in more than 30 countries and jurisdictions, and has more than 190 million customer relationships worldwide. For more information about Cigna®, including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.
About Evernorth
Evernorth creates and connects world-class health service offerings, including benefits management, pharmacy, care solutions, insights and intelligence. With an open approach to partnering across the healthcare landscape, we provide innovative and flexible solutions for health plans, employers, and government programs. Evernorth’s capabilities are powered by our family of companies, including Express Scripts, Express Scripts® Pharmacy, Accredo, eviCore and MDLIVE, along with Evernorth’s holistic platforms and solutions that elevate health and drive progress for people and businesses. . All Evernorth solutions are serviced and provided by or through operating affiliates of Evernorth Health, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cigna Corporation, or third party partners. Learn more at Evernorth.com.
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