Morneau Shepell partners with Shoppers Drug Mart to offer digital mental health solution

Access to digital therapist-guided AbilitiCBT™ programs to be offered through Shoppers Drug Mart stores and on the PC Health app

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Morneau Shepell announced today that access to therapist-guided AbilitiCBT^TM programs will be offered through Shoppers Drug Mart stores and the PC Health app to support Canadians struggling with mental health challenges. With this partnership, Morneau Shepell will offer its complete suite of digital cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) programs to Shoppers Drug Mart customers at a preferred price.

The digital CBT suite currently includes programs for generalized anxiety, anxiety related to a pandemic, depression, pain management and insomnia, and will soon expand with new programs for trauma, grief and loss and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), as well as additional content for panic disorder and social anxiety.

Morneau Shepell’s monthly Mental Health Index^TM reports have continued to show a trend of declining mental health for Canadians, with findings showing that the strained mental health of Canadians may be here for the long term. “Over the past few months alone, we have provided support to tens of thousands of Canadians, through both corporate programs and our partnerships with the governments of Ontario and Manitoba. Our partnership with Shoppers Drug Mart not only demonstrates our commitment to helping as many Canadians as we can, but further solidifies our position as the market leader in the digital CBT space,” said Nigel Branker, president, health and productivity solutions for Morneau Shepell.

First launched in Atlantic Canada in October, the PC Health app is designed to empower Canadians by providing them with convenient access to healthcare resources and support – where and how they want it. The app is now also available in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta and will be expanded nationally over the coming months. As of today, users can access AbilitiCBT^TM programs through the PC Health app and get mental health support right at their fingertips.

“Our purpose is to help Canadians live life well and that means providing the tools they need to successfully manage their overall health – both mental and physical,” said Doug Bryce, vice president, health and pharmacy programs and innovation, Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. “Now more than ever, Canadians need convenient access to resources that help them navigate their mental health challenges. We believe Morneau Shepell’s AbilitiCBT^TM programs will help meet that need.”

Shoppers Drug Mart customers looking to access these programs can download the PC Health app on Google Play or the app store or speak to their local Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacist for guidance and support.

Morneau Shepell is a leading global provider of wellbeing services, with thousands of therapists in an extensive network, including crisis counsellors, who offer support to any AbilitiCBT™ user who needs help. The new trauma and grief and loss programs will be available by the end of 2020, while the OCD and the expanded anxiety programs will be on the AbilitiCBT™ platform in early 2021.

About Morneau Shepell

Morneau Shepell is a leading provider of technology-enabled HR services that deliver an integrated approach to employee wellbeing through our cloud-based platform. Our focus is providing world-class solutions to our clients to support the mental, physical, social and financial wellbeing of their people. By improving lives, we improve business. Our approach spans services in employee and family assistance, health and wellness, recognition, pension and benefits administration, retirement consulting, actuarial and investment services. Morneau Shepell employs approximately 6,000 employees who work with some 24,000 client organizations that use our services in 162 countries. Morneau Shepell is a publicly traded company on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: MSI). For more information, visit morneaushepell.com.