In January 2020, Filipina mental health advocates Kana Takahashi, Cat Triviño and Monique Ong cofounded MindNation, a mental health and well-being company that aims to build a world where mental health is valued, accepted and supported, and where mental health care is made accessible to all. From a team of five, MindNation now operates globally, working with over a hundred employees and partners. Takahashi, chief impact officer, is a University of Santo Tomas psychology graduate who has lobbied for a mental health law and safe spaces law.
Triviño, chief marketing officer, is a mental health advocate and environmentalist; director for branding and partnerships at Communities Organized for Resource Allocation, or Cora Philippines; and former digital and public relations manager of Jollibee and Globe. Ong, chair, is a traumatic brain injury survivor and advocate, who has worked with Facebook, P&G and Uniqlo. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, MindNation took the opportunity to further drive the importance of mental health and well-being in the workplace.
They surveyed more than 6,000 full-time employees in the Philippines regarding their well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic and came up with the following results: 35 percent said they were unproductive for an average of two hours during their shift every day; 13 percent file for sick leaves due to mental health concerns; 22 percent of those workers said they were thinking of quitting their jobs due to stress, anxiety and depression; 8 percent are feeling suicidal, due to COVID-19 fears, personal matters and financial pressures.
“Mental health support in the workplace has already been an area of concern before the pandemic but with the COVID-19 crisis, the emotional challenges employees have confronted have spiked,” Takahashi said. “We made it our mission for leaders to understand that creating a culture that recognizes and supports mental health is imperative to overall organizational resilience during these trying times.” Purpose over profit In line with its mission to provide accessible mental health care for all, as a first mover in the country, MindNation provided free services to the sectors most affected by COVID-19: the youth, retrenched employees, medical front-liners, as well as members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community.
“We reached thousands of fellow Filipinos and provided over 1,000 free teletherapy sessions with licensed experts at the height of the pandemic, and there are more that continue to seek our aid to this day,” Triviño said. MindNation offers services for both B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer)—from global enterprises, small teams, to individuals. In August, the company launched the MindNation App, a one-stop shop for every person’s holistic well-being needs. The app not only features the existing services of MindNation like teletherapy services and self-help quizzes, but also provides faster accessibility to such services with psychologist and well-being coach booking confirmations in as fast as two minutes.
“When mental health support is convenient and easily accessible, people are motivated to proactively take care of their mental health and make it a habit,” Takahashi said. Building a community MindNation also initiated several advocacy-driven and purpose-led initiatives such as partnering with organizations like Miss Universe Philippines, Metro Manila Pride, Queer Safe Spaces PH, De La Salle University, the Pasig City government, and Filbasket to further normalize the conversation surrounding mental health. Just last October, to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month, MindNation partnered with ad agency Propel Manila to launch #EverythingIsTherapy, a campaign that aims to destigmatize help-seeking behavior. The core messaging of the campaign normalizes the conversation, painting therapy as a regular occurrence and ultimately, making it accessible and part of daily routines.
MindNation also launched its Community Therapy Fund initiative. For every psychologist session booked, a well-being coach session will be added to the MindNation Community Therapy Fund that can be availed by those who are unable to access therapy. Over 100 sessions were raised and redeemed between October and November. Since its launch, MindNation has grown and empowered individuals and teams globally with services available across Asia (with its base now in Singapore), Middle East and Latin America.
“In MindNation, we are working on life-changing things,” Triviño said. “We live in a crucial time where humanness—being able to work on our mental health and well-being without shame or scarcity—must be brought back to society: in our work, in our homes, in our communities.” —CONTRIBUTED INQ
