Where mental health risk hides in populations

Benefit design often treats mental and physical health as separate issues. When strategies rely on people to proactively seek care—or on traditional biometric screenings to surface risks—they miss the full picture.

New population screening data suggests a more revealing truth: Mental health risks are concentrated in people whose chronic conditions are unmanaged and where care gaps are unnoticed. The data reinforces a clear reality: Mental health risk and unmanaged physical disease are deeply intertwined. For plan sponsors, this opens the door to addressing both earlier through a more integrated approach.

Where mental health risk shows up first

The link between chronic conditions and mental health is well-established. Understanding this connection, mental health programs have become a key part of how Teladoc Health supports people with cardiometabolic health needs.

An analysis of more than 450,000 patients who completed a VirtualCheckup® provides an even sharper understanding. The data shows that depression and anxiety are far more common in people with unmanaged chronic conditions than in people with managed conditions.

Hypertension shows this pattern most clearly.

• Adults with depression were 43% more likely to have unmanaged hypertension and 22% more likely to have newly detected hypertension
• Adults with anxiety were 30% more likely to have unmanaged hypertension and 23% more likely to have newly detected hypertension
• Adults with suicidal ideation were 45% more likely to have unmanaged hypertension and 76% more likely to have newly detected hypertension

For people with managed hypertension—meaning they lowered their blood pressure to a target, typically <140/90 mmHg, through lifestyle changes and/or pharmacological treatment—the likelihood of mental health risks was flat or less common.

The pattern repeats across other conditions, too.

• People with obesity were 53% more likely to have depression
• The likelihood of depression jumped to 82% for people with BMI ≥ 40
• Adults with depression were 38% more likely to have unmanaged diabetes
• For people who had managed diabetes or lost weight, mental health risks were less likely to be present

What the data signals about the highest-risk population

One in three VirtualCheckup patients report that they do not have a primary care provider, so analyzing VirtualCheckup patients generates rare visibility into a population that traditional healthcare often misses. By making physical and mental health screenings easily accessible through at-home tests or on-site collections, this low barrier to entry leads to engagement from people who are otherwise unengaged.

The connection between mental health risks and unmanaged chronic conditions shines a light on the highest-risk population. It highlights the importance of early intervention. The first sign of worsening cardiometabolic health becomes a critical moment to address that condition, as well as mental health, before both have the time to compound.

Rethinking where mental health strategy should start

Mental health screenings shouldn’t live in mental health programs alone. The people at risk aren’t searching for therapy apps. There’s an opportunity to better meet people where they are.

For years, VirtualCheckup has had a track record of engaging the hard-to-reach and identifying unmet needs. With screenings that surface both physical and mental health risks, VirtualCheckup provides a more complete picture of the health challenges facing our clients’ populations.

From 2020-2025, 46% of VirtualCheckup patients were identified as having one or more cardiometabolic health risks that were previously unknown, and 45% of patients were identified with a mental health condition that was previously unknown.

Mental health risks gather when chronic conditions are unknown and unmanaged. Addressing the two together requires turning awareness into action.

Since joining Teladoc Health in 2025, VirtualCheckup has become an engine for clinical activation. As part of a VirtualCheckup, patients visit with a licensed nurse practitioner who develops a personalized action plan, which may include enrollment in Teladoc Health services. By clearly explaining available programs and their benefits, the nurse practitioner helps patients understand their options, increasing engagement and confidence in seeking care. This approach ensures patients have the tools they need, improves access to care and helps close critical gaps.

Plan sponsors offering VirtualCheckup have seen two times higher enrollment in Teladoc Health compared to groups relying on traditional marketing alone.

For patients with depression and/or anxiety, the data reveals a broad pattern of unmet health needs. Improving outcomes for this high-risk population depends on catching risk earlier, before mental and physical health risks have the time to compound.

For plan sponsors looking to optimize outcomes, mental health can’t be in its own silo. By making comprehensive screening part of connected care, we can identify unmet chronic condition needs earlier and positively impact a population’s cardiometabolic and mental health risks.