In a peer-reviewed, real-world study, employees using a multi-modal digital mental health platform improved depression outcomes and increased weekly physical activity by 117% on average
A new, peer-reviewed study offers real-world evidence that employee mental health benefits may influence more than mental health alone, showing improvements in both depression symptoms and physical activity among employees using a multi-modal digital mental health platform.
Over the course of 3 months, employees with access to a digital mental health benefit showed:
For HR and Benefits leaders, the findings strengthen the case for evaluating employee mental health benefits by measurable, cross-domain outcomes rather than engagement alone.
With health care costs climbing, HR and Benefits leaders are feeling the squeeze to deliver real value for employees—without wasting a dollar. In a crowded market full of big promises and wellness apps that rarely prove their worth, credible, real-world evidence is now non-negotiable.
A recent peer-reviewed study looked at employees with access to Modern Health. Over just three months, participants saw improvements in both depression symptoms and physical activity on average. The takeaway: the right mental health support can move the needle on more than just mental health.
This study focused on real employees, not just theory. Researchers measured two outcomes that go hand-in-hand for your workforce but are usually tracked in silos: depression symptoms and physical activity.
The data comes from 755 employees at 184 organizations, all with access to Modern Health. Participants completed surveys at the start and again three months later. They could use one-on-one therapy, virtual coaching, digital tools, and group support—whatever fit their needs.
Depression symptoms were measured using the PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), a standard clinical screening tool. Physical activity was measured using the IPAQ (International Physical Activity Questionnaire), which captures weekly minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.
The study began with an important baseline reality: many employees were navigating mental health symptoms and lower physical activity at the same time.
At the start of the study, nearly half of the participants were underactive, meaning they reported fewer than 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week. Participants with higher depression scores tended to report lower levels of activity.
By the end of three months, the results were clear: many saw their depression symptoms improve, most low-risk employees stayed well, and underactive employees got moving.
66.9% of participants with elevated depression symptoms improved or recovered.
Employees who needed the most help at the start made real progress over three months. This is a strong signal that outcomes—not just access or engagement—are what matter when you evaluate mental health benefits.
94% of participants who began at low risk for depression stayed low-risk.
Prevention and maintenance count, too. The best well-being strategies help employees stay healthy, not just recover when things go wrong.
Participants who were underactive increased their weekly physical activity by 117% on average.
This is real, measurable behavior change. Even before employees hit official activity targets, boosting movement from baseline delivers meaningful health benefits. That kind of progress matters.
27.5% of underactive participants moved into the active category by follow-up.
This isn’t just small gains. Nearly a third of underactive employees crossed the line into the 'active' category, hitting at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity per week.
Too often, mental health benefits get siloed from physical health, productivity, and overall well-being. This research challenges that thinking.
An employee experiencing depression symptoms may also have lower motivation, disrupted sleep, less energy, or more difficulty sustaining routines. An employee trying to become more physically active may need support with stress, confidence, planning, or accountability.
These parts of daily life are connected. That’s why it matters that this study shows mental health support can help drive improvements that go far beyond just reducing symptoms.
When one platform can help move the needle on both depression and physical activity, you get a fuller picture of impact. The real question isn’t just about access—it’s about whether care leads to real, measurable changes in the routines and behaviors that drive well-being.
Those measurable changes carry financial weight. Depression and anxiety already cost the global economy nearly $1 trillion each year in lost productivity, according to the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization—a figure driven by an estimated 12 billion lost workdays annually.
Physical inactivity compounds that burden: published research projects that if current trends hold, the direct health care costs of preventable physical inactivity-related conditions will reach $47.6 billion per year globally by 2030.
For employers, these numbers are anything but abstract. They show up in claims, absenteeism, and lost productivity—costs that add up quietly until they become a real problem.
Nearly half of employees in the study started out underactive—a pattern we see across the workforce. When that group doubled their activity in three months, the ripple effects went far beyond the individual. More movement means fewer chronic conditions, and that means lower high-cost claims.
Helping employees move more is a proven way to contain costs.
So what actually lets a mental health platform drive results across different areas of well-being? That’s the practical question for benefits leaders.
Design is a big part of the answer. Modern Health gives employees access to therapy, coaching, digital resources, and group support—across emotional, physical, social, professional, and financial health.
Someone stressed out might need therapy. Another person trying to get moving could benefit from coaching. Others may want to start with self-guided tools for flexibility or privacy.
The bottom line: employees need different ways in. A one-size-fits-all platform limits both reach and results.
In the study, participants could use any combination of available care options. More than 40% of engaged participants used two or more modalities, suggesting that flexible, multi-modal support may reinforce behavior change across different needs and preferences.
For HR and Benefits leaders, platform design is a business decision. A benefit only delivers value if employees can actually find the support they need, when they need it.
If you’re weighing tough choices in your benefits strategy, this study gives you a framework for what evidence-based well-being support should look like—especially when budgets are tight.
Point solutions address only one need or delivery method, making it tough to support employees with challenges that span different parts of life and health. Integrated models keep care connected and give you a clearer view of how support drives overall well-being.
Anyone can make a claim. Peer-reviewed evidence is what stands up to Finance, procurement, and the C-suite. The best benefits decisions are grounded in proof that connects access to real outcomes.
Ask if a solution can drive progress across health, behavior, and daily functioning—not just one area. Evidence across domains shows whether a platform matches how employees actually experience health: as overlapping, interconnected needs.
With rising health care costs, the bar for justifying spend is higher than ever. Data lets you move the conversation from usage to real, meaningful outcomes—and that’s what matters when Finance gets involved.
The best case for integrated, multi-modal mental health support isn’t just clinical—it’s operational. When care covers multiple modalities and well-being domains, employees are set up to make real progress in the daily habits that drive long-term health.
That leads to fewer high-cost claims, stronger productivity, and a benefits portfolio that proves its value beyond just engagement numbers.
If you’re rethinking which benefits are worth the investment, research like this helps shift the conversation from vague promises to measurable outcomes—and from access alone to real impact across all of employee health.
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