Why did you become involved as an investor and member of the Board of Directors at Aepsy, a mental health start-up?
This is actually a funny story: I was originally thinking about ways for “Any Working Mom” to develop further. Since many people contact us with concerns that fall within the field of psychotherapy and we also work closely together with a very large number of professionals, the idea arose of bringing together the community we have developed over the years with professionals from the field of psychotherapy. I discovered an Aepsy ad while carrying out market research. This brought me into contact with Nicolas Egger, the founder of Aepsy. I immediately noticed that something was being done here that corresponded to my own idea and values. But I also realised that they were doing it better and were much more advanced in terms of development. When I had the opportunity to join Aepsy, it was a win-win situation for both parties.

Waiting times for psychiatric and psychotherapeutic treatment are long, especially for adolescents. Is Aepsy able to counter this?
Aepsy is certainly able to exert an influence in the desired direction. Many people seek acute psychotherapeutic assistance when the strain is already very high but then face unbelievably long waiting times while the treatment is processed by the basic insurance. The problems frequently get worse during this waiting period, making the healing process more complex and longer. By contrast, Aepsy addresses people throughout Switzerland at an early stage in the development of mental health problems before an actual disorder arises and before treatment is funded via basic insurance. Psychological specialists are often available without having to wait, and treatment times are shorter, leading to a rapid reduction in costs and in the suffering of the person concerned. Would it not be better to be able to speak to a specialist immediately without administrative hurdles by way of first aid and in particular prevention? I very much hope that more insurers will jump on this bandwagon and make this kind of help possible for those affected by supporting preventative measures.

According to the Aepsy website, three out of ten people in Switzerland suffer from mental health challenges, but only 33% of those affected seek support. Why do the other two thirds not do so?
Out of shame. And because of the complicated procedure for gaining access to the right specialist. I would like to see discussions about mental health problems becoming as normal as those about other health challenges. Those affected often do not take their own mental burden seriously enough because the message conveyed in their socio-cultural environment is that “this is simply part of life” or “you have to put up with it”. Accepting help and seeking it need to become normal.

Where do you see the greatest potential for improvement?
In dialogue and education. My approach is always to “talk about it”. A decisive step will have been taken once mental health problems are normalised. I can easily cancel an acquaintance today due to a doctor’s appointment. Why should this not also be a matter of course for psychotherapy? Prejudices and inhibitions about mental health problems still remain widespread today. This stigmatisation has to stop.

How do you rate the services provided by insurers in the area of mental health? Are you aware them?
I haven’t noticed much so far in this area as a customer and therefore conclude that too little is happening. It would be nice if insurance companies covered more services in the field of psychotherapy and psychological counselling, such as those offered by Aepsy, and reimbursed patients accordingly. That would be progress: on the one hand, patients would be referred, hopefully to a specialist who can help. And by the same token, if patients were unable to get on with a specialist, they would not be placed at the bottom of the waiting list again and subjected to a renewed long waiting time but would be able to make contact with a new suitable specialist at the click of a mouse on the Aepsy platform. It might also be worthwhile for employers to be able to offer their employees such support. Prevention is also attractive from an economic perspective: healthy and happy employees also save costs.

Many people, especially the young, are making large parts of their lives public via social media. Does this trend help them to cope with life issues or is it creating more pressure in everyday life?
It goes both ways. I doubt that we actually see real private life on social media – it’s probably more like a curated cut-out of it. Those who reveal everything about themselves over the longer term will become aware that the constant view from outside is extremely stressful.
However, I can also see the positive side of this trend. When someone provides an honest insight into their own life, it creates empathy. If I see, for example, via social media, how someone with a physical disability masters everyday life with all its challenges, that broadens my horizons. I begin to understand that person and their needs and concerns. I wouldn’t recommend making your own life public without a specific concept because you will then no longer have any place of retreat – and that’s something everyone needs.

All pictures © Raphael Hug