Every 0.3 seconds, someone in England is prescribed an antidepressant. That’s not a metaphor, it’s a reality uncovered by five years of NHS England data analysed by YuLife.
Between 2020 and early 2025, over 428 million antidepressants were prescribed in England, costing the NHS £1.23 billion. In 2024 alone, 91.7 million prescriptions were issued, the highest total on record.
These numbers don’t reflect overdiagnosis. They reflect under-support. A mental health system is overwhelmed, a workforce is under pressure, and a growing reliance on medication because other forms of support simply aren’t available in time.
This is not a sustainable model, not for healthcare, not for society, and certainly not for business. It’s time for a fundamental shift in how we think about employee wellbeing: from reactive crisis response to proactive, data-driven prevention.
The Limits of “Support on Demand”
Most employee benefits platforms offer access to EAPs, insurance, and therapy directories. But access isn’t enough when the average wait for NHS therapy stretches into months, and over 60% of NHS Talking Therapy referrals never complete treatment. In the meantime, many people are left with just one option: a prescription.
The current model is reactive. People reach a crisis point, then seek support, often through their GP, often via medication. What’s missing is a preventative layer — one that spots signs of struggle early, engages users daily, and offers support before a clinical intervention is needed.
This is where platforms like YuLife’s Preventative AI come in.
What Is Preventative AI?
YuLife’s Preventative AI is a first-of-its-kind system that uses real-time behavioural data, AI-driven nudges, and gamified incentives to proactively manage health risks. It tracks indicators like sleep quality, activity levels, heart rate variability, and mood signals — using this data to build a dynamic, evolving picture of wellbeing.
When potential risk is detected, the system offers personalised interventions — from stress relief techniques and mindfulness prompts to referrals to EAPs, virtual GPs, or even NHS resources. Crucially, these interventions happen before a crisis point is reached.
This model isn’t theoretical. In real-world use:
- 1 in 3 users reported reduced symptoms of depression
- 50% improved sleep quality
- 24% increased physical activity
- 1 in 5 lowered their risk of making a health-related insurance claim
That’s not just engagement. That’s behaviour change. That’s risk reduction.
The Employer’s Role in Mental Health
The workplace is one of the most powerful environments for early mental health support. Employers spend more time with their teams than any health provider, and yet, many still only engage when issues escalate.
The cost of inaction is high. Mental health-related presenteeism, absenteeism, and turnover are costing UK employers an estimated £51 billion per year. But most of that cost isn’t linked to crises. It’s tied to the slow erosion of wellbeing: stress, disengagement, burnout.
By embedding preventative wellbeing into the culture and fabric of the workplace, employers can act earlier, long before clinical care is needed. That means:
- Daily engagement with wellbeing tools
- Training managers to identify early signs of burnout
- Incentivising positive habits with rewards, not just reminders
- Offering immediate access to digital support before clinical thresholds are met
From Insurance to Impact
Traditional insurance has always been there when things go wrong. But what if it could help prevent things from going wrong in the first place?
That’s what Preventative AI enables. It transforms insurance from a safety net into a proactive wellbeing partner, one that reduces claims, enhances engagement, and makes premiums more sustainable through long-term behavioural change.
With traditional insurance, you’re looking at past claims and static data, preventative AI changes that assess risk in real time, predicting outcomes, and understanding who’s most likely to sustain positive change.”
It’s a shift from “detect and pay” to “predict and prevent.” And it’s the future of group benefits.
A National Problem. A Workplace Opportunity.
The NHS data tells a stark story. Prescriptions are up 40% since 2020. Spending averages £473 per minute. And in many regions, talking therapy remains difficult to access. This is a national crisis, but it’s also a call to action for employers.
With the right tools, businesses can become a vital early layer of support. They can identify risk patterns before they escalate, encourage daily wellbeing habits, and reduce pressure on overstretched public systems.
Where We Go from Here
Employee benefits have evolved. What once began as a set of perks must now become a system of prevention. Not a checklist, but a culture. Not a last resort, but a first response.
With technologies like Preventative AI, the tools now exist to make early intervention scalable, data-driven, and personal. It’s not about replacing therapy or treatment, it’s about building a bridge to them. It’s about giving people help when they still have the energy to receive it.
And for employers, it’s about recognizing that real care doesn’t start with a claim. It starts with a question: how can we help earlier?
