Why Employers Are Investing Heavily In Employee Mental Health – National Press Foundation

In recent years, more and more employers in the U.S. have prioritized mental health supports for employees, using their role as purchasers of mental health benefits to drive change in the system.

But the type of support those employees actually end up receiving can make all the difference. On May 22, three analysts from the corporate well-being realm briefed Covering Workplace Mental Health journalism fellows on what a productive strategy for fueling employee mental health well-being looks like.

Clare Miller, strategy consultant with Workplace Mental Health LLC, led a discussion with Carrie Grogan, lead principal for client services at Mind Share Partners, and Pamela Rich, vice president at Business Group on Health. Both Mindshare Partners and Business Group on Health released surveys about workplace mental health during May, and the panelists highlighted key findings.

“Paying attention to mental health is not just the right thing to do, the good thing to do, but it’s also the economically sound thing to do,” Miller said. “Mental illnesses are incredibly prevalent and very, very treatable. We still have pervasive stigma … and that also can shape people’s willingness to reach out for help and actually take advantage of the services that are available.”

Here are some of their key points from the session:

• Mental health has become a top priority for employers, with nearly half of the surveyed companies citing it as their top well-being strategy focus.
• Employers are implementing a wide range of initiatives to support employee mental health, including EAP programs, virtual counseling, caregiver support and flexible leave policies.
• Promoting a positive mental health culture through leadership engagement, manager training, and peer support programs is crucial for reducing stigma and encouraging utilization of available resources.
• Employers are recognizing the business case for investing in workplace mental health, as it can improve productivity, retention, and overall organizational performance.
• Challenges remain around ensuring accessibility and utilization of mental health benefits, as well as addressing the root causes of workplace stress and burnout.

Rich highlighted another growing imperative for businesses: caregiver support for employees.

“There is a lot of research to show that caregivers, unpaid caregivers are at risk for mental health conditions including anxiety and depression. And there are also statistics to show that there is greater suicidal ideation … so caregiving support, I would argue is an important part of a mental health strategy.”

Grogan told fellows that flexibility and autonomy in accessing mental health support in the workplace benefits everyone, “especially folks who are undergoing extreme challenges to their mental health, whether that is short-term, long-term,” she said. “Being able to have flexibility, a voice in your day, being able to plan out what you need in that moment, feeling supported by your colleagues, by your manager, all of these things benefit our mental health and the way that we then actually do our job.”

Access the full transcript here.

The Covering Workplace Mental Health journalism fellowship was sponsored by the Luv U Project, with associate sponsor the American Psychological Association. NPF is solely responsible for its content.