Calm Health, a leading mental health platform known for its evidence-based clinical programs and high user engagement, has announced its international expansion into the United Kingdom and Canada. This strategic move marks a significant step in Calm Health’s mission to make mental health support more accessible globally, addressing critical gaps in care and engagement across diverse populations.
Calm Health’s Proven Success in the U.S. Sets Stage for Global Expansion
Calm Health currently serves over 17 million people in the United States through partnerships with employers, health plans, and healthcare providers. The platform’s success is underscored by its ability to drive above-average engagement rates, with 77% of users completing mental health screenings—an essential step for early detection and intervention. This level of engagement is particularly notable given that most employee assistance programs struggle to reach even 5% of their workforce.
David Ko, CEO of Calm, emphasized the importance of engagement in mental health outcomes: “Most employers see less than 5% engagement with their employee assistance programs. Without engagement, we can’t expect meaningful outcomes.” He added that Calm Health’s expansion is a natural progression to meet rising mental health demands worldwide.
Addressing the Global Mental Health Crisis
Globally, over 70% of individuals experiencing mental health challenges do not seek help, often due to stigma, uncertainty, or lack of access to care. Calm Health’s international launch aims to break down these barriers by providing a seamless, integrated platform that supports mental health alongside physical health conditions such as hypertension, obesity, heart disease, and cancer—ailments affecting more than 60% of the U.S. population and similarly prevalent worldwide.
Calm Health’s approach combines personalized mental health evaluations with user inputs on physical health and life experiences, offering tailored recommendations that include mindfulness exercises, sleep resources, and psychologist-curated digital programs. This holistic model supports users at every stage of their mental health journey, from initial screening to ongoing therapy support.
Enhancing Access and Engagement Through Integration
One of Calm Health’s core strengths lies in its ability to integrate with existing employer and health plan benefit systems. This integration increases visibility and engagement across the care spectrum, helping to close gaps in access and utilization. By embedding mental health resources directly into benefits platforms, Calm Health ensures that support is intuitive and easy to access, which has proven critical in improving outcomes.
Alex Will, President of Calm, highlighted the benefits of this integration: “With Calm Health, we can now deepen our support by bringing evidence-based mental health resources to the market, designed to complement both the public health system and existing employer benefits.” He also noted that the expansion will help companies with international teams provide consistent mental health support regardless of location.
Expert Endorsements Highlight Calm Health’s Impact
Industry leaders have praised Calm Health’s innovative approach to mental health care. Martha Temple, former CEO of Optum Behavioral Health, remarked, “Technology like Calm Health will play a significant role in this evolution by increasing access to quality, evidence-based mental health resources and filling critical gaps between medical and behavioral healthcare.”
Jack Rowe, former Chairman and CEO of Aetna, echoed this sentiment: “Hospitals, payers, employers are recognizing the need for solutions that support a person’s whole health. Calm Health has the potential to be one of the key solutions to address this shift and evolve current care offerings.”
Commitment to Privacy and Compliance
As Calm Health expands internationally, it remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of data privacy and security. The platform complies with HIPAA and HITRUST protocols in the U.S. and adheres to relevant data privacy regulations in the UK and Canada, ensuring that users’ sensitive health information is protected.
Looking Ahead: A Global Vision for Mental Health
Calm Health’s launch in the UK and Canada is just the beginning of a broader international expansion planned for later in 2025. The company aims to reach millions more by delivering clinical mental health tools that destigmatize care and make support accessible worldwide.
Rohini Venkatraman, a key figure in the expansion effort, expressed optimism about the platform’s global potential: “Mental health needs are more similar than different across cultures. Calm Health is designed to make mental health support intuitive, accessible, and effective worldwide.”
Calm Health’s international expansion represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of mental health care. By leveraging technology, clinical expertise, and seamless integration with existing health systems, Calm Health is poised to transform how mental health support is delivered across borders. As mental health continues to rise as a global priority, Calm Health’s evidence-based, user-centric approach offers a promising path to improved access, engagement, and outcomes for millions worldwide.
