Mental wellness was an underlying focus for this year’s Global Wellness Summit, with several speakers addressing the topic from different perspectives and looking at what the spa industry can do to address the issue.

Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, associate professor of economics and strategy at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, outlined how governments and financial bodies are waking up to the value of people’s happiness and mental wellbeing.

This was echoed by economist Theirry Malleret, who foresees a time when “wellness will become mandatory” for countries and policy makers.

Based on the UN-endorsed 2016 World Happiness Report, of which De Neve is the co-editor, delegates heard how happy employees are 7-12 per cent more productive, and that people who are the happiest at age 16, 18 and 22 will earn about US$3,000 more per year than the national average when they reach 30.

The happiest countries in the world are Denmark and Switzerland, said De Neve, but we should be mindful of the countries that are not so content or have experienced losses in growth, such as Greece.

“It’s in times of crisis and losses that the wellness industry has the most to do and ought to be most active, as that’s when people can benefit from it the most,” he explained.

Similarly, De Neve said there’s an argument for the wellness industry to focus on adolescents “who are falling behind in terms of wellbeing and mental wellness” as they’re likely to earn up to US$10,000 (€9,043, £8,065) less than the national average when they grow up.

Psychologist and public health academic Dr Gerry Bodeker said that with the World Health Organization flagging up mental health as one of its top priorities in the next decade, now is the time for spas to get in on the act, as the many mental, nutritional and physical modalities they offer are already proven to have physiological and neurological benefits.

“They [the modalities] really make the case for a mental wellness category pathway that’s distinct from what’s been seen as the world of mental health in the past,” explained Bodeker. “It’s time to stick a flag in the ground and say not only do we care about this, but that we’re already doing something about it.”

Spas that will really succeed in this arena, he added, will prioritise regular visits, research, and post-visit follow ups and consultations.

Other speakers shared their different perspectives on how to achieve mental wellness.

Dieter Mueller-Elmau, owner of Germany’s iconic Schloss Elmau Luxury Spa & Cultural Hideaway, talked about creating mental wellness by converging music, literature, poetry and spa.

Meanwhile, in a rare appearance, Olympic ski champion Stephan Eberharter motivated delegates with his vision of mental toughness – based on ‘the fun factor’, setting goals and passion – before accompanying them for an afternoon of mountain outdoor activities.

And Jeremy McCarthy, group director of spa & wellness for Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and author of The Psychology of Spas & Wellbeing, received the first-ever Debra Simon Award for Leader in Furthering Mental Wellness for his work in bringing the power of positive psychology to the spa industry.