AIA launches adviser mental health study

The study – The Adviser Voice – has three objectives: understanding the current state of mental health and wellbeing of financial advisers, learning the habits associated with those advisers experiencing positive mental health, and determining the mindsets and behaviour that advisers are using in order to deal with a period of significant upheaval.

“Australian financial advisers play a critical role in society, through helping their clients and their families,” said Damien Mu, AIA Australia and New Zealand CEO and managing director.

“They are an extremely important partner for us as a life and health insurer; we see firsthand the value of advisers in ensuring the financial wellbeing and protection of Australians. Advisers have been through a huge amount of disruption in recent years – starting with the Future of Financial Advice reforms, through to the Life Insurance Framework, new education and compliance requirements, and now the effects of the pandemic.”

The study will comprise a survey of 1,000+ advisers, a series of in-depth, one-on-one interviews, and a seven-day diary study. AIA has partnered with Deakin University to complete the study, and all data is intended to be gathered before the end of 2020.

“We want advisers to have the support and the resilience they need to not only survive, but to revive their businesses and to ultimately thrive, so they can continue to help Australians get access to quality advice and meet their financial wellbeing needs,” Mr Mu said.