‘Unum - Partnership with Cardiff University Skip over navigation eee” * unum Home> Corporate Information> Press Releases> 2004 Partnership with Cardiff University Partnership with Cardiff University ‘at July 2004 Assharp rise in the number of people with mental health problems and unexplained health complaints is leading to a serious problem of incapacity for work in the UK, wams leading income protection provider UnumProvident. ‘The warning comes ioday at the launch of a new research centre, sponsored by UnumProvident and based at Cardiff University, which aims to shed light on this incapacity trend and better understand the psychosocial factors that influence illness, disease, recovery and reintegration into work. ‘On any working day in the UK, six million people are reported absent from work because of sickness. Moreover, the ‘number of people of working age in receipt of incapacity benefit has risen by 10% since incapacity benefit was introduced in April 1995, and now stands at 2.6 milion. Whilst unemployment has fallen and the demand for, ‘employees has risen, the number of people claiming incapacity benefit remains stubbornly high. ‘Speaking at the launch of the new UnumProvident Centre for Psychosocial and Disability Research, Dr Peter Dewis, Customer Care Director at UnumProvident, said: ‘The Centre's research will lead to a better understanding of what makes people incapacitated and how to prevent and better support disabling incapacity to help people retum to work after iliness. This will bring benefits to employers, insurers and to society as a whole; but more importantly, it will benefit the individual who is healthier and happier when actively involved in work. Dr Dewis added itis a modem-day paradox that, in spite of an accelerating rate of medical innovation and discovery, more and more people of working age are being certified as incapable of work, often with complaints which cannot be understood in the same way as more identifiable diseases, ‘The new Cente will be looking at the doctor/patient relationship and how this affects an individual's reaction to their iiness. Studies to be conducted at the Centre in Cardiff will focus on why people respond differently to the same ilness, rendering some unable to work while others continue. ‘The new Centre isthe fist in the UK to develop specifi ines of research into psychosocial factors related to disability, vocational rehabilitation and the determinants of il-health impacting upon work capacity. Professor Peter Halligan from the School of Psychology at Cardiff University, who forged the partnership with ‘UnumProvident, said: ‘Within the next five years, the work wil hopefully facilitate a significant re-orientation in current medical practise in the UK, whereby "enablement" rather than disability will be the positive focus and goal for ‘those involved in managing disability and those affected by unexplained symptoms, Professor Mansel Aylward CB, recently appointed Chair in Psychosocial and Disabilty Research at Cardi, wil head the Centre when he takes up the position as the Centre's Director later in the yee Professor Aylward pointed out: “The Goveriment believes that everyone who can work should be given the opportunity to do so. The ‘overwhelming majority of people newly ciaiming incapacity benefits expect to get back to work; in really less than a quarter will be back at work after 12 months on benefil. The nature of the health ‘conditions affecting these people are very largely “common health problems”. Given the right level of ‘support and intervention the majority of these health conditions are manageable and should not preclude a return to work. “The Centre which aims to become a recognised world-class research centre and resource for psychosocial and disabilly research, represents an investment by UnumProvident of £1.6 milion over the five year contract period. For further information please contact Phil Anderson or Clare Alison at UnumProvident on 0207 638 9571; or at Cardiff University Karen O'Shea on 029 2087 0011 or Andrew Weltch on 029 2087 5596. www.unum.co.uk/Home/Corporate_Information/Press_Releases/2004/Partnership_with_Cardiff_University.htm