Mental health issues are on the rise in America, so it’s no wonder they’re being seen more often in the workplace.  

However, more than half of those who experience mental health issues don’t receive treatment, mostly because they can’t afford it without health care coverage. It can be distracting enough to lessen productivity, and the problem is on the rise.

Mental health-related disability claims have jumped more than 40% in the last five years, according to a study by Guardian.

An increasing number of employee absences is contributed to mental health issues. In fact, employee leave requests have increased 20% year-over-year, and this trend is expected to continue, according to Unum’s 2024 internal data. This has resulted in a significant cost increase for employers.

Though solutions to help employees overcome mental health issues continue to evolve, employers do have options to help employees achieve mental wellness.  

Virtual/Digital therapy

Unlike in-person therapy sessions, which can take weeks or even months to secure, virtual or digital therapy appointments can often be made within 48 hours.

Provider networks are more expansive than ever, giving employees more therapists to choose from. This can help overcome cultural and gender considerations, and addresses the lack of transportation.

Mental health training

Educating employees on mental health will help them understand its impact and its prevalence. Education can help curb stigmatizing of those who have mental health challenges, as well as give employees the ability to recognize a mental health issue and assist those in need.

Consider offering access to apps such as Calm for Business, which can provide self-guided resources and tools such as email reminders, built-in calendar breaks and webinars on mental wellness.

Enhanced EAPs

Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) have been around for years. They are the primary mental health benefit that most organizations offer, but traditional EAPs often have very low utilization rates.

Many organizations are enhancing these benefits to provide easier access to services that fit today’s needs.

ISBC’s experienced team can help your organization evaluate its needs and create a tailored benefits plan to address mental health issues among employees. Contact me at kmeinberg@unisonriskadvisors.com or 216-658-5034.

Facts about mental health

Oswald and Univation Labs found the following in a recent study of employer health care claims data, related to mental health.

• The number of mental health services/1,000 increased by 6% from 2022 to 2023. This is following a 4% increase from 2021 to 2022.
• Paid claims per employee per year were up 8.5% from 2022 to 2023.
• Millennials and Gen Z have the highest prevalence of mental health claims, with 26% of the membership in those generational age bands experiencing a mental health claim in 2023.
• The highest-costing diagnosis continues to be anxiety and depression.
• One-tenth (11%) of paid claims were out of network, compared to 3% for primary care.