British Beauty Council COO Helena Grzesk has co-authored a report which looks into the effects of the personal care sector on mental health and wellbeing. Helena co-authored this report with Dr Neil Carpenter and Yvonne Ebdon MSc, with the support of the British Beauty Council, UK Spa Association, the NHBF and BABTAC.
Report Summary
Mental illness has been a growing health crisis for some time. Mental ill-health is the single largest cause of disability in the UK, contributing up to 22.8% of the total burden, compared to 15.9% for cancer and 16.2% for cardiovascular disease. The wider economic costs of mental illness in England have been estimated at £105.2 billion per annum. Mental Health problems have increased by 8% during the pandemic.
It has been estimated that optimal treatment for mental disorders will only avert 28% of the burden of mental illness.
There is now significant global evidence that touch therapy, as well as massage, can have a significant effect on reducing mental health problems. There is also evidence that it can address fatigue, compromised immune issues, pre and post-menopausal problems and improve cancer therapy.
As yet, NICE has not supported touch and massage as a therapies for mental health, citing potential flaws with the research methodologies carried out outside of the UK. This is not to say that the research did not show positive results.
Given the potential benefits directly from personal care services to the UK economy and health and wellbeing, the authors would recommend research be carried out in the UK to replicate the benefits seen elsewhere.
If the UK research supports the global findings, there is a potential benefit to UK plc. Even if the reductions in mental health problems are modest (10%), the savings to the UK would be in excess of £10 billion per annum, reducing lost sick days by 1.76 million and sick days related to menopause by 1.4 million.
The use of touch and massage therapy has a return on investment of 15:1 as well as increasing UK productivity by >0.5%.
The personal care sector is worth in excess of £30 billion and provides 600,000 jobs across the UK. 88% of the workplace is female. Within this sector, the spa industry is estimated to be worth £2.1 billion; and its qualified therapists carry out over 6 million treatments each year.
Qualified therapists undertake in excess of 90 hours of training in anatomy physiology and pathologies as part of their nationally regulated qualification for entry into the workforce. They subsequently undertake additional continual professional development training in cancer touch therapy, stress management and other touch therapies. The sector is well placed to support the NHS and Public Health to relieve issues and symptoms relating to Functional neurological disorders (FND) and physical health and wellbeing through a range of therapies, improved selfcare and preventative healthcare.
Access the full report here.
