Amazon is taking a giant stride towards helping parents address pediatric and adolescent mental health.
Amazon has extended its Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to include Pediatric Care, enabling employees’ children to avail counselling and mental health services at no additional cost.
Children and young people struggling with mental health need all the resources they can get to support their wellbeing. Now, all Amazonians with children, regardless of health insurance status or geographic location, can access baseline clinical mental health support for the challenges and conditions children and teens experience.
Benefits of the pediatric mental health service for Amazonians
Initiated in July 2023, this service provides direct access to personalised and confidential care for children aged between 18 months and 17 years, including six sessions of counselling or coaching, per issue per year, free of charge. Amazon employees can access services from a licensed provider whenever needed. The free virtual Pediatric Care Program is designed to help families and households navigate challenging times by offering short-term counselling or coaching, and practical support for everyday life. The specialised support addresses a wide range of behavioral health needs, including Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), anxiety, depression, trauma and more.
How to access pediatric mental wellness services
Employees can visit a dedicated site for Amazonians and after providing employee details and the child’s details, a counsellor guides them through the various options. Employees can also explore Amazon’s full suite of mental health benefits and resources on Amazon’s internal portal.
Mental health of children and young adults
According to experts at the World Health Organization (WHO), childhood and adolescence are critical stages for mental health development. The brain undergoes rapid growth and development during this phase, and children acquire cognitive and social emotional skills. These skills lay the foundation for their mental health, self-esteem, and resilience in the future.
COVID-19 and pediatric mental health
The COVID-19 pandemic brought to the forefront unique mental health challenges for children and adolescents. Pandemic-related restrictions including lockdowns had confined children to their homes, limiting social interactions and routines. This has largely affected children between the age of two to six, considered as crucial ages of development. COVID-19 has impacted children of all ages in terms of confidence and self-esteem, social and inter-personal skills and other areas of personality-building.
Amazon's new mental health service for children is a step towards improving the mental health of future generations. This comprehensive and free service will set an example and emphasise on the need to prioritise mental well-being.
