May’s Marketplace spotlight: Flow Neuroscience

To celebrate the opening of Zest Marketplace, we’ll be shining the spotlight on one of our providers each and every month.

Your one-stop shop for all your employee benefit needs, we’ve handpicked from our network of trusted benefit providers to ensure you have the best offering available to your employees.

To kickstart our latest series, we’re delighted to introduce you to Flow Neuroscience.

Our research shows there is now a growing focus on wellbeing, with eight in ten (82%) businesses seeing their employees demand more wellbeing benefits. In response, 71% have now introduced a ‘Head of Wellbeing’ role to cater to this growing trend.

The good news is 89% of companies are now reporting that employees are much more likely to discuss their wellbeing in the workplace.

Flow is a wireless headset that treats depression using a non-invasive brain stimulation method called tDCS or transcranial Direct Current Stimulation. The Flow tDCS headset is a break-through device which brings previously in-clinic techniques used to treat depression directly to your home.

Flow has been shown to treat depressive symptoms, including improved mood, sleep and lowered anxiety.

Key features include:

• Wearable headset used by over 24,000 people.
• 77% of people see a clinical improvement within 3 weeks.
• 58% of people are no longer clinically depressed at 10 weeks (in clinical trial).
• Used by the NHS.
• Rated ’Excellent’ on Trustpilot.

How does it work?

The Flow headset uses gentle stimulation to help the brain work better. It focuses on a part of the brain known as the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, or DLPFC for short.

This part of the brain helps us with our mood, staying focused, and with our sleep and eating habits. When it’s not working right, these things can be affected.

Flow works by sending a very small and safe electric current to the brain. This helps neurons in that region to “fire up” and make them more active. A more active DLPFC can raise mood and reduce depressive symptoms.

The Flow headset can be used at home without supervision, as you will be guided through the steps by a supporting behavioural therapy mobile app.

It only takes 30 minutes to stimulate and the sessions can easily fit into your schedule whenever it suits you best.

To find out more about Flow Neuroscience, you can find them on our Marketplace page here.

To mark our Marketplace partnership with Flow Neuroscience, Erin Sivyer Lee, CEO (Flow Neuroscience) said:

‘I’m excited to share that Flow is now available via Zest Benefits, making Flow’s treatment for depression even more accessible and affordable to thousands of employees.

‘The impact of poor mental health isn’t just personally devastating to those suffering, it also comes with a very real economic impact:

* 17 million working days lost to work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2021-2022 according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

* An estimated 12.7% of all sick days in the UK can be attributed to mental health conditions.

* Better mental health support in the workplace can save UK businesses up to £8 million annually

When individuals have access to better mental health treatment options, everyone wins.’

To find out more about Flow Neuroscience, visit their Marketplace page on our website here.