Modern Health has released new peer-reviewed research showing that workplace coaching can significantly improve mental health outcomes and strengthen emotional resilience for employees. Published in the journal Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research by Springer Nature, the study validates the effectiveness of technology-enabled coaching within Modern Health’s adaptive care model. Unlike traditional programs that immediately direct employees to therapy, this model guides individuals to the right level of care at the right time and adjusts support as needs evolve. This approach can improve access to care, reduce costs, and create measurable benefits across the workforce.
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“Coaching delivered in an adaptive care model improves mental health outcomes at scale, and that is a meaningful breakthrough for employers,” said Matt Levin, CEO of Modern Health.
Levin emphasized that for years, employers have assumed that only therapy could reliably improve workforce mental health. “This study shows that coaching is also a highly effective tool. Employees who need clinical care are connected to therapy, but coaching supports a broader range of employees before challenges escalate. This reduces strain on clinical resources and delivers tangible benefits across the workforce,” Levin said.
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The research highlights coaching’s dual impact. It helps employees with moderate mental health needs reduce symptoms and provides low-risk employees with preventative support to maintain well-being. Since employees with moderate needs often make up the largest portion of the workforce, early coaching interventions can prevent crises, reduce reliance on high-intensity services, and improve overall engagement and productivity.
In as few as two to three sessions with International Coaching Federation-certified coaches, 72 percent of employees with moderate needs showed improvement or recovery. Among lower-risk employees, 96 percent maintained low symptom levels. These results demonstrate that coaching can reach a large segment of the workforce, including individuals who may not seek therapy but still benefit from structured support.
Dr. Jessica Watrous, Chief Clinical Officer at Modern Health, explained that coaching not only reduces symptoms but also builds emotional resilience skills such as mindfulness and distress tolerance. “Coaching delivered by trained professionals helps employees manage daily stress, prevent burnout, and maintain long-term well-being. Therapy alone cannot address population-level mental health efficiently, and relying on therapy for every concern is costly. Adaptive care allows clinical resources to focus on those who need them most while supporting the broader workforce proactively.”
Modern Health’s approach contrasts with traditional one-size-fits-all benefits, which often direct all employees straight to therapy or leave them to navigate support on their own. Modern Health’s adaptive care model provides a seamless experience, matching employees to therapy, coaching, or self-guided tools as appropriate, and adjusting care as their needs change.
Coaching is delivered through Modern Health Pathways, a high-touch, one-on-one program that accelerates outcomes in areas including burnout, sleep, and parenting stress. The program combines personalized coaching with structured self-guided exercises and assessments to measure progress. By offering targeted and preventative support at scale, Pathways helps employees develop skills that improve both mental and physical health over time, creating meaningful and lasting workforce benefits.
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