Unmind’s commitment to science

Improving mental health in the workplace starts with rigorous, evidence-based research – that’s been Unmind’s belief since day one. Our mission is to empower organizations and individuals with the tools they need to create sustainable, high-performing teams. To achieve this we root our approach in scientific integrity, with an Impact & Evidence team working to ensure our platform is both effective and grounded in the latest psychological research.

Wellbeing has become commoditized. Yet despite the growing interest in our industry, 95% of wellbeing apps aren’t rooted in science.1,2 This lack of rigorous research can lead to uncertainty about which tools are truly effective. Who can you actually trust? At Unmind, we do things differently. Our team of psychologists are instrumental in developing our products and services, ensuring they are safe and effective for users, whilst our Impact & Evidence team makes sure this translates to real benefits for both users and organizations.

Our expert team

Our Impact & Evidence team comprises experts in clinical psychology, cognitive neuroscience, psychometrics, and statistical modeling. Led by Dr. Heather Bolton, our team includes renowned professionals such as Professor Kate Cavanagh, Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Sussex, a leading international expert in digital health, and Dr. Marcos Economides, a specialist in health outcomes and clinical research.

Together, they bring decades of experience in understanding and improving mental health. Their work ensures that Unmind’s platform can meet the diverse needs of our users.

Our scientific approach is built on four key pillars which guide everything we do:

1. Generating robust empirical evidence

Our Impact & Evidence team follows best practices when evaluating the effectiveness of our platform. This ensures all findings are reliable and can contribute meaningfully to the broader understanding of digital mental health support. 

2. Continually evolving our product

Workplace wellbeing doesn’t stand still, so neither do we. We use research insights to learn which aspects of our platform are most effective and engaging and continue to evolve Unmind to best support our users' mental health journeys. 

3. Remaining at the forefront of research

We’re here to advance the scientific understanding of mental health, particularly in workplace settings. We aim to lead the way, pioneering new ways to measure, maintain, and improve mental health outcomes.

4. Transparency across our methods and findings

We communicate our methods and findings openly so that users, partners, and the wider scientific community can trust the integrity of our work.

We collaborate with world-renowned academic institutions, such as the University of Sussex and the University of Cambridge. These partnerships ensure our platform is built on a foundation of cutting-edge science. It means we can evaluate the impact of our platform, publish studies, and contribute to the collective understanding of workplace mental health. 

Our research roadmap is developed in collaboration with our academic partners. It covers several key areas:

• Efficacy & effectiveness studies: We conduct randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the impact of our platform on employees' mental health and organizational outcomes.
• Psychometrics studies: We employ the latest scientific methods to ensure our platform features reliable, credible measures of mental health and wellbeing.
• Client studies: We work closely with our clients to assess the real-world impact of Unmind, ensuring that our research translates into tangible benefits for users.

Upholding the highest standards of research

We are guided by principles that reflect our commitment to academic rigor:

1. Collaborative research: We partner with academic institutions to leverage the expertise of world-leading researchers.
2. Open science: We support open science by preregistering our studies on recognized clinical trial registries, ensuring transparency in our research process.
3. Ethical standards: All our studies undergo ethical review, prioritizing participant wellbeing and data security.
4. Adherence to guidelines: We follow expert guidelines (e.g., CONSORT, SPIRIT, STROBE) to ensure our research meets the highest academic standards.
5. Combating publication bias: We commit to publishing all preregistered studies in peer-reviewed journals, regardless of the outcomes.

Unmind isn’t just a digital platform. We are a research-driven organization committed to improving workplace mental health through science.

Rigorous research underpins every aspect of our work. This ensures our platform meets the highest standards of effectiveness and is able to evolve with the latest advancements in the field. Our goal is to empower every individual and organization with the tools they need to thrive, backed by the confidence that our platform is built on solid scientific foundations.

References

1  Leong, Q., Sridhar, S., Blasiak, A., Tadeo, X., Yeo, G., Remus, A., & Ho, D. (2022). Characteristics of Mobile Health Platforms for Depression and Anxiety: Content Analysis Through a Systematic Review of the Literature and Systematic Search of Two App Stores. J Med Internet Res, 24(2):e27388, DOI: 10.2196/27388

2. Lau N, O'Daffer A, Colt S, Yi-Frazier J, Palermo T, McCauley E, Rosenberg A. Android and iPhone Mobile Apps for Psychosocial Wellness and Stress Management: Systematic Search in App Stores and Literature Review. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2020;8(5):e17798, DOI: 10.2196/17798