Coaching Delivers Measurable Mental Health and Resilience Gains

For years, organizations have turned to therapy-directed care as the cornerstone of workplace mental health. But new peer-reviewed research from Modern Health shows that therapy alone—even when aimed at symptom reduction—can miss the broader goal: equipping employees with the emotional skills to manage stress, prevent burnout, and maintain resilience. Coaching, delivered as part of a blended care model, helps close that gap.

The study—the first peer-reviewed research from a digital mental health platform—demonstrates that coaching can do both: reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression and strengthen the skills that sustain resilience, including mindfulness, distress tolerance, and self-compassion.

According to Dr. Sara Sagui Henson, Associate Principal Research Scientist at Modern Health and lead author of the study, “We set out to test what many in the field had long assumed but few had actually measured: can coaching, when delivered by trained professionals using evidence-based methods, create measurable change in both mental health and functioning? The answer is yes—and the data are compelling.”

The Research: Measuring Real-World Impact

The study evaluated 266 working adults who primarily engaged in coaching with International Coaching Federation–certified coaches through Modern Health’s digital platform. Participants could also access therapy or digital self-guided resources as part of Modern Health’s adaptive care model, which flexibly adjusts care based on each member’s needs and preferences.

Over a three-month period, employees completed an average of two to three coaching sessions, with outcomes assessed at the start and end of that timeframe.

The results were striking:

• Depression symptoms decreased by 22.5% and anxiety by 12% across all participants
• Among employees with moderate mental health needs, 72% improved or recovered, achieving clinically meaningful change
• Among those with lower baseline distress, 96% maintained well-being, underscoring coaching’s preventive role
• Coaching significantly improved core emotional skills that drive resilience—distress tolerance (+4%), self-compassion (+6%), mindfulness (+3%), and perceived stress (–8%)

“These are not small effects,” Dr. Sagui Henson explains. “We saw meaningful change after just a few sessions. That tells us coaching can make a measurable difference quickly—especially for the majority of employees who fall between feeling well and needing clinical treatment.”

Why Emotional Skills Matter as Much as Symptom Reduction

Most mental health research focuses on symptom reduction—lowering anxiety or depression scores. However, this study examined something more: the development of emotional regulation skills that enable individuals to manage stress, adapt to change, and maintain balance over time.

“What’s exciting about these findings,” says Dr. Sagui Henson, “is that we didn’t just see symptom improvement—we saw growth in transdiagnostic skills like distress tolerance and mindfulness. These are the skills that prevent future episodes of distress and help people thrive at work and in life.”

By measuring both clinical and functional outcomes, the research offers a fuller picture of what effective care looks like—one that aligns directly with what employers value most: a workforce that’s resilient, engaged, and capable of sustaining well-being amid change.

What This Means for Employers

For organizations, the implications are significant. Coaching—when delivered within a clinically governed, adaptive care model—can:

• Reach employees earlier, before issues escalate into crisis
• Improve well-being and functioning in as few as two to three sessions
• Build the emotional capabilities that reduce stress, burnout, and turnover
• Be provided at a lower cost than high-acuity therapy interventions

“Employers are under tremendous pressure to show ROI on mental health investments,” notes Dr. Sagui Henson. “This research helps them see that value isn’t only about cost savings after a crisis—it’s about preventing those crises in the first place. Coaching helps people build resilience proactively, and that translates into measurable business impact.”

By addressing employees with moderate needs—the majority of the workforce—coaching fills a critical gap in care. And Modern Health’s research finds that offering an evidence-based, cost-efficient pathway to this population can contribute significantly to organizational health care cost savings.

A More Complete Model of Mental Health Care

The study’s findings reinforce Modern Health’s adaptive care model, which combines coaching, therapy, group sessions, and digital programs into a single, clinically validated care platform. This approach ensures that every member gets support tailored to their needs—whether they’re managing stress, coping with burnout, or facing a clinical condition.

“Blended care models like ours allow us to meet people where they are,” says Dr. Sagui Henson. “Someone might start with coaching and later decide they need therapy—or vice versa. The key is flexibility, because people’s needs evolve. Coaching gives us an effective, scalable tool for supporting that continuum.”

The Bottom Line

This first-of-its-kind research confirms that coaching isn’t just supportive—it’s clinically effective. It helps employees reduce symptoms, build resilience, and stay engaged—benefiting both individuals and the organizations that depend on them.

For employers striving to improve mental health outcomes while managing costs, the message is clear: therapy alone isn’t the only path to measurable improvement. Coaching delivers proven results—faster, and across a broader segment of the workforce.