Intuitively, we know that we don’t perform our work at our best when we feel sad, stressed, or burned out. We expend energy and time thinking about something other than the task at hand, or we simply have little or no energy left to give. Our productivity can take a hit—for minutes, hours, days, or longer, greatly depending on both our emotions and our mental health.
Indeed, research has shown that high levels of stress are associated with significantly lower productivity and work satisfaction. Burnout—a result of chronic, unmanaged stress—hinders creativity and innovation and reduces individual, team, and organizational performance. Similarly, untreated depression contributes to missed work days and reduced productivity and may affect one’s ability to focus, make decisions, manage time, and communicate. What’s more, depression is associated with higher total and outpatient healthcare costs.
An increase in workforce mental health conditions takes a toll on business
Unfortunately, large numbers of employees say they have emotional or mental health challenges. Sixty-one percent of respondents to Calm’s survey have felt down, depressed, or hopeless recently, and 68% are having trouble sleeping. According to the American Psychological Association’s 2023 Stress in America survey, more than one-third of adults have been diagnosed with a mental health condition—a five-percentage-point increase from pre-pandemic levels.
The estimated cost to business is high. Depression is estimated to cause 200 million lost workdays each year at a cost to employers of $17 to $44 billion. According to Gallup, employee absences due to poor sleep cost US businesses roughly $44 billion in lost productivity each year.
5 steps employers can take to support employee mental health and combat costs
The good news is that employers can take practical steps to support employee mental health and help combat costs associated with absenteeism, lost productivity, and comorbid physical and mental health conditions. Here are five ideas to consider:
1. Foster a workplace culture focused on well-being
Although awareness and understanding of mental health have grown since the pandemic, stigma remains a barrier to employees getting the support they need. For example, many employees are still reluctant to use an employee assistance program (EAP) due to the misperception that it’s meant for crisis situations only and/or that their employer will know they’ve used the service.
One way to combat mental health stigma is to focus on well-being as a core pillar of your workplace culture. Start by asking managers in your organization to use one-on-ones with their team members to highlight the availability of mental health benefits and encourage them to take advantage of these resources. It’s also important to ask leaders across the organization to talk about their experiences using your mental well-being programs and policies, which can help employees feel safe in using them.
2. Add resources to support mental well-being
Offering preventive mental health resources to supplement your EAP is another way to foster a culture of well-being and help reduce the mental health stigma. Most EAPs provide assessments, a number of free counseling sessions, and referrals for additional services, but most employees don’t need this level of mental health support.
In fact, according to an analysis by consulting firm McKinsey, 24% of employees require counseling and 1% require a mental health prescription medication. By contrast, 75% of employees need preventive support that fosters mental well-being.
Calm is a digital mental health resource that offers employees an extensive library of programs to support stress and anxiousness and help them get better sleep and build resilience on a daily basis. Employees can use Calm resources anytime, anywhere without stigma or concerns that their employer will know what programs they’re using.
3. Focus on improving the well-being of diverse populations
People who experience repeated discrimination over time—whether exclusion or microaggressions at work, bullying, or even violence—are at significantly higher risk of short- and long-term mental health challenges, including stress, anxiety, depression, and substance-use disorders.
Consider implementing preventive mental health policies and programs that support the needs of diverse and marginalized populations, including neurodivergent, LGBTQ+, Hispanic, LatinX, and Black employees. Calm’s survey showed that these communities wish their employees would offer these benefits:
- Mental health support that aligns with their culture and identity
- Access to self-care break rooms at work
- Manager training regarding DEIB and mental health
- Time during the day to care for their mental health
- Mental health days off
- Mental health tools to address stress, anxiousness, and sleep issues
4. Help employees navigate to the mental health support they need
Employees often can’t find the support they need when they need it. Not only is there a shortage of mental health providers—more than half of US counties have a single psychiatrist, for example—but employees often lack awareness or understanding of what’s available to them or how to access it. In fact, a One Medical study showed that half of employees don’t have a good awareness or understanding of their employer’s health and benefits offerings, and 55% have difficulty navigating their health care.
What’s more, in a 2020 survey by the National Alliance of Mental Illness, 80% of respondents said they’re dissatisfied with online navigation tools to find mental health treatment or support, citing out-of-date and inaccurate information.
Consider advocacy or navigation solutions that guide employees to the right level of mental health support based on their specific conditions and needs.
With Calm Health, employees are invited to answer questions from the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ–9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7) screenings to help them understand how they’re feeling. Based on an individual’s results and/or self-reported goals and topics of interest, Calm Health develops a personalized plan with recommendations for mindfulness tools, evidence-based clinical programs, and external resources that are appropriate for their mental health needs and accessible from a single location.
5. Offer condition-specific mental health support
The mind and body are connected, but mental and physical health care are not. For instance, despite the fact that people with diabetes are up to 3 times more likely to have depression, only 25% to 50% of people with diabetes who have depression are diagnosed and treated for it. Untreated depression can not only worsen a comorbid chronic condition but also increase the total cost of care 2 to 8 times.
To help improve health and cost outcomes, explore solutions that bridge the gap between mental and physical health care and keep employees engaged in their mental health.
Calm Health offers employees and family members access to mental health programs developed by psychologists with expertise in specific conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, pregnancy and postpartum, and heart disease. These clinical programs, which are based on principles of cognitive behavioral therapy, have high ratings and engagement.
Nearly everyone who registers for Calm Health (93%) completes the mental health screening and submits goals and topics of interest (97%), putting them on the path to getting the right support for their specific needs. And more than half of registered users (53%) have started a clinical program and rated the programs, on average, 4 of 5.
World Mental Health Day focuses on mental health in the workplace
In recognition of World Mental Health Day (October 10), the World Health Organization is calling on employers to take urgent action to prevent risks to employees and support employee mental health. “By investing efforts and resources in evidence-based approaches and interventions at work, we can ensure that everyone has the opportunity to thrive at work and life,” it wrote. Investing in the mental health and well-being of your workforce can also improve productivity, performance, and the overall health of your organization.
For more information on proactively supporting employee mental health and well-being, check out our pricing or connect with a Calm specialist today.
