World Mental Health Day — recognized this year on Monday, October 10 — is designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise awareness and normalize mental health challenges globally.
In the United States, 90% of adults say the country is experiencing a mental health crisis according to a recent poll by CNN and the Kaiser Family Foundation. About 1 in 5 adults received mental health services in the past year, and about 33% said they felt anxious always or often over the past year.
The pandemic tipping point
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, a panel of medical experts appointed by the Department of Health and Human Services had been working on new recommendations to help physicians identify and treat mental health disorders more proactively. Their work took on a new urgency during the pandemic, and new guidelines just released recommend that all U.S. adults under the age of 65 are screened for anxiety by their primary care physicians as part of routine check-in procedures for medical visits.
“It’s a crisis in this country,” said Lori Pbert, a clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, who serves on the task force. “Our only hope is that our recommendations throw a spotlight on the need to create greater access to mental health care — and urgently.”
One silver lining of the pandemic is that many people are more open about their mental health struggles, even at work.
Mental health in the workplace
“Wellbeing” was a hot topic for Human Resource (HR) departments before 2020, and in the post-pandemic workplace, more managers and employees are elevating its importance.
According to a 2021 study by Mind Share Partners, 76% of full-time U.S. workers reported at least one symptom of a mental health condition in the past year — up from 59% in 2019.
The same study shows hopeful trends that talking about mental health at work is losing its stigma. According to the research, 41% of workers talked with their colleagues about their mental health in the last year, 40% talked with their manager, and 37% talked with HR. These findings represented increases of 38 – 48% just since 2019.
Although 74% of companies say ensuring the well-being of their employees is important, about 45% of workers say their employers don’t support their well-being, according to a recent global survey by Adecco.
How to address mental health at your company
We’re only just beginning to understand the stress — and even trauma — that many U.S. workers are coping with in the aftermath of a global pandemic. Although many companies have stepped up their efforts to support the mental health of their employees, it’s obvious there’s work to do.
Here are strategies forward-thinking HR professionals and business leaders are using to prioritize mental health for their employees:
Initiate dialogue about mental health
Normalizing conversations about mental health is important to creating a culture where employees feel safe to openly share their concerns for themselves, their families and coworkers.
Embrace empathy
Empathy isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a philosophy that can inform a company’s policies throughout the organization focused on treating people like people.
Involve leaders
Employees at all levels — including in the C-suite — are experiencing elevated stress, and leaders can play a powerful role if they’re willing to communicate with empathy and vulnerability.
Cultivate sustainable work
Whether your employees are working remotely, on-site or a mix of both, ensuring that the amount and intensity of the work is healthy and sustainable is critical to preventing burnout.
Invest in DEI
Creating a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program is only the first step; ensuring that its influence is apparent in all business practices — including hiring, people management and communications — is critical to making all employees feel welcome and safe.
Encourage ERGs
Not only do Employee Resource Groups help coworkers connect cross-functionally, but they are critical to creating safe places for employees to share concerns and struggles.
