New ‘Health of the Nation China 2020’ study reveals access to quality and affordable care critical to mind health.
AXA Tianping today committed to leveraging its evolving portfolio of innovative health insurance solutions to address two leading causes of poor mind health in China, as a recent nationwide study by the global insurance specialist links concerns about health and healthcare costs with widespread anxiety and depression.
“AXA Tianping’s new Health of the Nation China 2020 study shows that worries about health and healthcare costs continue to impact mind health in China, as well as linking untreated symptoms such as low mood to the risk of more serious physical and mental illness,” said Yamin Zhu, AXA Tianping Designated Chief Executive Officer. “As a leading health insurance provider in China, we are committed to partering with our customers at every step of their healthcare journey. Part of this involves tackling not only the symptoms but also some of the causes of poor mind health, as we focus on delivering peace of mind through our highquality, value-added insurance products.”
A Vicious Cycle: The Link Between Poor Mind and Physical Health
The findings from AXA Tianping’s Health of the Nation China 2020 study comes as changing demographic and lifestyle trends fuel rising rates of serious disease in China, such as cancer, and cardiovascular disease. With a growing number of prominent studies linking poor mind health to increased risk of such diseases1 , one pernicious effect of health-related anxiety and stress is that it might actually be increasing people’s risk of getting sick, creating a vicious cycle of fear, worry and correlated health problems. Yet despite the prevalence of mind health-related issues in China, significant stigma remains preventing many sufferers from seeking treatment.
“Mind health disorders can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender or socio-economic status, yet prevailing stigmas, both in China and around the world, mean that millions continue to suffer in silence,” said Gordon Watson, CEO, AXA Asia. “AXA is on a mission to overcome these stigmas, leveraging our global expertise to improve awareness of mind health issues and promote innovative prevention and treatment strategies aimed at creating a more resilient and inclusive society.”
Work, Health and Finances: The Three Leading Causes of ‘Low Mood’ in China
As part of AXA Tianping’s Health of the Nation China 2020 study, a thousand people of varying ages and incomes were canvassed in ten Tier 1-3 cities on a range of healthcare-related issues. Among those touched upon in the study was that of ‘low mood,’ defined by psychiatrists as a transitory emotional reaction to current stresses often serving as a precursor to more serious mental and physical illnesses.
79% of respondents identified feelings of anxiety associated with the recent COVID-19 pandemic. In terms of serious non-communicable diseases such as cancer, the study revealed a strong correlation, regardless of income level, between worries about general health and personal and family finance. Commonly cited concerns included those relating to accessing affordable and quality care, as well as reduced income.
Significantly higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression were observed in individuals who also reported higher frequency of low mood, underlining the importance of early detection and treatment of symptoms linked to more serious mind health issues.
AXA Tianping: Helping to Lift the Taboo Surrounding Mind Health in China
Leveraging its strong expertise in healthcare, AXA Tianping is already continuing to build relationships with some of China and the world’s leading authorities on mind health, such as the Columbia University World Health Organization (WHO) Center for Global Mental Health, to address an increasingly prevalent but often overlooked issue. This May, AXA Tianping began a gradual roll-out of a free and confidential telecounseling service to policy holders, a similar version of which has now been extended to all AXA employees throughout Mainland China. AXA Tianping is also poised to launch several new products that will soon provide more comprehensive mind health treatment options to its customers.
More importantly, AXA Tianping is committed to helping to tackle the issue of mind health at its root by providing customers in China with access to high-quality, affordable holistic care and support. As part of its mission to become a trusted health partner, AXA already offers a continuously evolving range of innovative products ranging from critical illness to routine in and out-patient treatment. AXA’s new International Cancer Therapy launched inJanuary is helping to redefine cancer treatment in China, simplifying access to quality cancer treatment anywhere in the world with a comprehensive range of personalized support services, including translation, as well as travel and accommodation arrangements for patients and a designated companion. In June, AXA announced the next stage of its partnership with QHealth (formerly known as Tencent Trusted Doctors), as it prepares to launch a revolutionary new O2O health management model combining AXA’s strong insurance expertise with QHealth’s network of 450,000 doctors and 107 private clinics.