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TELUS Mental Health Index: Mental health of workers in Australia hits four-year low, costing businesses up to 69 workdays of productivity annually per employee

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New data reveals younger workers and those without savings face the highest mental
health risks, while strong employer support can halve productivity losses

SYDNEY, Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Today, TELUS Health released its TELUS Mental Health Index (“the Index”) with reports that examine the mental health of employed people in Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Europe. The Australian report reveals that the mental health of workers in Australia has hit a four-year low, costing businesses up to 69 workdays of productivity annually per employee. The Index also found that younger workers and those without savings face the highest mental health risks, while strong employer support can halve productivity losses.

“With mental health scores at an all-time low nationwide, it’s essential to understand the significant impact on productivity. A workforce that isn’t thriving can’t drive a business to its full potential,” said Paula Allen, Global Leader, Research & Client Insights, TELUS Health. “We know that mental health and wellbeing can improve or decline over time, and that the support available makes a big difference in improvement. As employees increasingly look to their employers for comprehensive support—whether financial, physical, or mental—all of which are essential to their overall wellbeing- the opportunity for employers to make a meaningful impact with the services they offer, increases.”

The TELUS Mental Health Index also found:

Anxiety and isolation are the biggest mental health challenges for workers in Australia.Workers in Public Administration (68.4), Wholesale Trade (66.5) and Technology (65.2) have the highest mental health scores compared to other sectors. Younger workers (under 40) are more than twice as likely as workers over 50 to report being diagnosed with anxiety and depression.Workers without emergency savings are three times more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and depression, with mental health scores 30 points lower than those with savings.Workers rating their employer’s physical wellbeing support as excellent have better mental health and lose fewer workdays compared to those rating it poorly.

“The mental health challenges facing workers in Australia, particularly among younger employees and those without financial safety nets, are concerning. It’s clear that isolation, anxiety and economic pressures are taking a toll,” said Jamie MacLennan, Senior Vice-president and Managing Director of APAC, TELUS Health. “However, our findings also reveal a significant opportunity for employers. By investing in robust programs addressing physical, mental as well as financial wellbeing, and fostering a supportive work environment, businesses can not only improve their employees’ mental health but also substantially boost productivity and overall organisational performance.”

In September 2024, the mental health scores of workers in various regions were:

Australia: 61.1New Zealand: 59.7Singapore: 61.6United Kingdom: 70.6Europe: 61.6United States: 70.6Canada: 64.4

The TELUS Mental Health Index is based on a response scoring system that then turns individual responses into point values. Higher point values are associated with better mental health and less mental health risk. Scores between 0 to 49 correspond with distress levels, scores between 50 to 79 correspond with strain levels and scores between 80 to 100 correspond with optimal levels of mental health.

This TELUS Mental Health Index includes additional findings on physical health, diet and experiences with the healthcare system. As a company rooted in social purpose, TELUS Health is committed to improving health outcomes and sharing valuable insights. Read the full Australian TELUS Mental Health Index here.

Note to Editors
For further information on the TELUS Mental Health Index, or to find out more about the methodology, please refer to the MHI Australia update.

About the TELUS Mental Health Index
The data for the TELUS Health Mental Health Index was collected through an online survey from September 17 to September 30, 2024 with 1,000 respondents. All respondents reside in Australia and were employed within the last six months. The data has been statistically weighted to ensure the regional and gender composition of the sample reflects this population.

About TELUS Health
TELUS Health is on a mission to become the most trusted wellbeing company in the world by enhancing the overall efficiency of healthcare and championing workplace wellbeing. By integrating advanced healthcare technology with comprehensive employee support services, TELUS Health provides a holistic approach to primary and preventive health and wellbeing for over 76 million people across 160 countries. Our innovative digital health platforms, including electronic medical records (EMRs) and virtual care solutions, empower healthcare professionals, employers and governments to deliver personalised care efficiently. Our employee wellbeing programs empower individuals by offering extensive support through Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), mental health resources, financial counselling, and workplace wellness initiatives. At TELUS Health, we are committed to revolutionising healthcare to ensure people receive the support they need and employees thrive both personally and professionally. Together, let’s make the future friendly. For more information, visit: www.telushealth.com.

Media Contact:
The PR Group
telushealth@prgroup.com.au 

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SOURCE TELUS Health; TELUS Communications Inc.

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H3C takes a deep dive into the challenges – and opportunities – AI brings

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BEIJING, Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Nothing carries quite the gravitas of the Nobel Prizes, the five awards that were founded in Switzerland back in 1901 to recognize developments that have been of the “greatest benefit to humankind” in the fields of in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and in the promotion of peace.

These awards have traditionally noted people who have helped alter the course of human history and so it was telling when they were handed out by The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences at the start of October that, for the first time, the work of people developing Artificial Intelligence was recognized.

This year’s winners in the sections both for physics (John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hianton) and chemistry (David Baker and joint-winners Demis Hassabis and John Jumper) have been expanding the use of AI software into science and their recognition has again shown how far this new technology’s reach has now spread, so quickly.

That’s a conversation that was carried on to GITEX Global 2024 in Dubai from October 14-18 – an event which brands itself as the “biggest tech & startup show in the world” – with the scope of the impact AI is having around the world once again on show.

At the center-point of displays and discussions were the very latest in AI advances as were the issues of where these developments are going to take the world as the digital economy continues to evolve.

On hand in Dubai was Ray Xu, senior vice-president of H3C, as well as president of the Chinese business innovation and digital transformation group’s cloud, compute, and storage product line. Based out of the eastern Chinese tech hub of Hangzhou, H3C officially launched two new H3C UniServer systems in Dubai (R5500 G7 and R5300 G7) – servers which can support more than 70 kinds of AI.

A week later, Xu sat down to reflect on that experience and on how an AI-led digital transformation, and technological innovation, are reshaping our world.

“These AI technologies are changing our lives and present a lot of new opportunities,” said Xu. “That has sparked a lot of imagination about what the future will be. On the other hand, AI applications also face some challenges in areas such as data privacy and algorithm bias. In the end, though, I’m an optimist. I think the opportunities far outweigh the challenges.”

Through its global commercial partnerships, H3C has helped expand AI technology usage across sectors including “AIGC [Artificial Intelligence Generated Content], autonomous driving in the new energy vehicle industry, and data-driven decision-making and personalized services in finance and enterprise sectors, as well as large-scale computing centers established by governments and operators.”

AIGC is one development that has had a major impact on the way work is done all over the globe. Innovations such as ChatGPT are driving new growth across industries as those industries adapt to generative technology and explore ways to expand AI’s uses.

Xu said there were a number of important challenges ahead, including developing the necessary infrastructure to support the power needed to drive this new technology, the development of more efficient power sources and servers, the building of data centers and learning how to deal with issues of privacy when it comes to data.

“At H3C we are committed to partnering with our customers when it comes to dealing with the challenges of business innovation and digital transformation,” said Xu. “With our comprehensive product line, we have solutions for cloud, computing, networking, security, and terminal issues as well as Information and Communication Technologies [ICT] solutions. With these solutions, we help a lot of our customers in their new journey of digital information transformation.”

The development of arithmetic power was another issue Xu identified, especially in terms of the Chinese market.

“I think there are four key challenges,” he said. “The first thing is computing power. We need huge amounts of computing power, so how to scale up this computing power quickly is very important. Second, how to use this arithmetic power efficiently? How to schedule this power is critical. The third challenge is about storage. We need data so how do we make this data transfer very efficiently, very quickly? 

“More computing means more data, more energy. So, how do we leverage this energy more efficiently? Making data centers more green will be the fourth challenge but in order to address these challenges, the first thing we need to do is scale up computing power more quickly.”

H3C has addressed these issues by focusing on “the upgrade and evolution of digital infrastructure to meet the needs of the AI era.” 

The company has also launched “diverse heterogeneous computing platforms for intelligent computing centers, high-performance AI servers, advanced data center network architectures, and AI storage solutions to provide strong, stable, and scalable digital infrastructure support.”

There has also been a focus on a green strategy when it comes to data center design and across the H3C production line, in keeping with the requirements of the industry. This includes such innovations as liquid cooling and box immersion, which are helping drive new growth on a global scale.

Overall, H3C has identified a “multifaceted” approach that has focused on increased investment in and construction of “computing infrastructure to rapidly scale up computing power,” the company said. 

Other focuses include “the development of more efficient and intelligent computing power allocation and data storage technologies to enhance resource utilization and ensure data security and stability”, while the company continues to explore “the promotion of innovation and application of energy-efficient technologies to reduce energy consumption during computing operations.”

That’s why, Xu said, the company is “open to different kinds of vendors.”

“We have the service capability to help customers build their ecosystem in anticipation of AI development, so they can actively embrace them,” he said. “We can always find ways to solve challenges and deliver more and more opportunities, backed by the belief that AI will bring us a bright and a smart future.”

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/h3c-takes-a-deep-dive-into-the-challenges–and-opportunities–ai-brings-302313932.html

SOURCE H3C

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IMMOTION WINS BEST VR AWARD FOR THE GREAT MIGRATION AT WCFF 2024

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MONTERREY, Mexico, Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — IMMOTION, the global leader in immersive edutainment, received the Best Virtual Reality Award at the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival (WCFF) last month for The Great Migration, its groundbreaking 360º VR film experience.

“What their team accomplished with their intricate and non-intrusive camerawork was previously unseen by our judges.”

The WCFF annually awards the best in conservation filmmaking that spotlight global conservation advocacy.

In The Great Migration, IMMOTION immerses viewers into the incredible journey of over 2 million animals traveling between Tanzania’s Serengeti and Kenya’s Maasai Mara reserves as part of an annual phenomenon known as the Great Migration of East Africa. This journey is filled with predators preying on vulnerable herds that instinctually cross the treacherous Mara River each year.

IMMOTION’s team of VR filmmakers, led by Creative Director Ken Musen, captured breathtaking, immersive footage of the migration using custom-built 360º VR cameras within “rock-cams,” “croc-cams,” drones, and hot air balloons.

“We placed special VR cameras in places along the migration’s paths that no one has ever tried before,” said Musen. “The footage we captured was spectacular; for the first time in VR, you can see inside a herd of wildebeest as they struggle across the river or even come face-to-face with a hippo in the Mara.”

When up for consideration, the film’s production quality and craftsmanship were apparent from start to finish.

“After watching The Great Migration, the decision to award IMMOTION was instantly unanimous,” said Mauricio De La Maza, Interim CEO at the WCFF. “What their team accomplished with their intricate and non-intrusive camerawork was previously unseen by our judges.”

This award adds to the acclaim the film has received since debuting at the Association of Zoos and Aqaurium’s Mid-Year conference in March.

“The reaction from our partners and viewers has been astounding,” said Rod Findley, President and CEO of IMMOTION. “We are honored to receive this award from the WCFF as our missions align on advocating for global wildlife conservation education.”

The Great Migration is the most powerful film in IMMOTION’s growing library, including new immersive content slated for next year.

About IMMOTION

IMMOTION offers dynamic, motion-based virtual reality experiences, featuring live-action and animated educational content guided by marine biologists, wildlife experts, and conservation organizations such as the Marine Megafauna Foundation, Bimini Shark Lab, and the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. With over 100 locations worldwide and more than 2M unique annual users, IMMOTION helps leading zoos, aquariums, museums, and science centers generate ancillary revenue through award-winning, on-mission immersive attractions while reinforcing the impact of their education and conservation programs.

About WCFF

The Wildlife Conservation Film Festival aims to inform, engage, and inspire audiences about the utmost need and importance of protecting global biodiversity through its annual film festivals in New York, Los Angeles, and Monterrey, Mexico.

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/immotion-wins-best-vr-award-for-the-great-migration-at-wcff-2024-302313936.html

SOURCE Immotion

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CCTV+: Embarking on a Renewed Dialogue at Liangzhu Between Global Civilizations–The ‘Liangzhu: A Dialogue across World Civilizations’ Promotional Video and Documentary to Premier

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BEIJING, Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Exchanges make civilizations colorful, and mutual learning makes them prosper. A documentary on the recently-concluded Portugal and Greece stops of the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ ‘Liangzhu: A Dialogue across World Civilizations’ cultural exchanges is about to be aired. A representation of cultural exchanges between the land of divine emblems and inscriptions of Liangzhu and the realm of Athena and navigational compasses, it presents Liangzhu culture’s popularity abroad and appreciation by local youth, media outlets, as well as cultural and academic communities.

The documentary, filled with exciting moments at the Events, could serve as a preview to the upcoming second Liangzhu Forum, building up the anticipation for an even more splendid future of human civilization. Also, it features further explorations into the stories and significance behind the Events.

This event was organized by the Information Office of Zhejiang Provincial People’s Government, the Foreign Affairs Office of Zhejiang Provincial People’s Government, and Zhejiang Media Group. It was hosted by the Overseas Center, or ZTV-World, of Zhejiang Media Group and was supported by the Chinese Embassy in Portuga, the Chinese Embassy in Greece, University of Lisbon, Portugal, and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, among other institutions.

Video – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2565121/2024.mp4

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cctv-embarking-on-a-renewed-dialogue-at-liangzhu-between-global-civilizationsthe-liangzhu-a-dialogue-across-world-civilizations-promotional-video-and-documentary-to-premier-302313937.html

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