Blog | Gen Re

Our Perspective

Building Underwriting Models for Mental Health

By Dr. Chris Ball |October 08, 2019|English

As a young psychiatrist, I went through a period of being excited about the brain. It seemed that emerging technologies in imaging and genetics would transform clinical psychiatry. This was encouraging news with mental health problems causing the most...
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Can Suicide Risk Be Significantly Influenced by Underwriting?

By Dr. Chris Ball |June 06, 2019|English | Español

Suicide often leaves the bereaved with more questions than answers. Many will find it difficult to ever understand why such a drastic step was taken. The risk factors for suicide traditionally considered by life insurance underwriters are highly influenced...
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Alzheimer’s - Is Early Detection Becoming a Reality?

By Sabrina Link |February 14, 2019|English

For a long time, Alzheimer’s could only be definitively diagnosed after a patient’s death based on neuropathological findings in the brain. Positron emission tomography (PET) scanning and spinal fluid technologies can improve on purely clinical...
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What Drives People to Self-Harm and What Does it Mean for Insurers?

By Ross Campbell |July 25, 2017|English

When thinking about self-harm, we most associate it with youth. More than half of 11-14 year olds and eight out of ten 18-21 year olds have self-harmed - or know someone who has - according to the results of a UK poll undertaken during 2015.1 The number...
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Insurers Shouldn’t Stigmatize Epilepsy

By Anke Siebers |February 13, 2017|English | Deutsch

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that can affect people of all ages. According to the WHO, some 50 million people around the world have epilepsy and an estimated 2.4 million new diagnoses are made each year. The condition has significant implications...
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Suicide Prevention Strategies

By Dr. Chris Ball |September 08, 2016|English

More than 800,000 people commit suicide every year, according to the WHO. The vast majority (75%) of those deaths occur in low and middle income countries where suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-29 year olds.1 Suicide has received...
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