Employers grapple with mental health crisis
As the global death toll from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic climbs, employers are scrambling to address the explosive rates of anxiety, depression, substance abuse and potential waves of suicides that have emerged along with it. Like the virus itself, this secondary epidemic is expected to affect far more people than the existing health-care system can address, leaving employers to pick up the slack.
The numbers are daunting. Vida Health Inc., a digital network of therapists and clinicians that works with companies like Cisco, Visa, Paypal and Boeing, has seen 15 to20 per cent week- onweek increases in mental health and stress-related appointments since mid-march, and a 30 to 50 per cent boost in new client interest. “Everyone is looking for virtual mental health care right now,” said chief executive officer Stephanie Tilenius.
Just under one- fifth of a company’s employees typically have a mental health disorder, as evidenced on health insurance claims, Tilenius said. In recent weeks, that number has risen to between 60 and 70 per cent. “Everybody’s got some level of anxiety with this pandemic,” she said.
Elke Van Hoof, a psychologist who specializes in stress and burnout, says companies need to provide a tight web of tools and support for employees during the course of the regular workday. Examples include webinars on topics like pandemic resilience and work- life balance. Organizations should also have staffers trained on both early signs of psychological struggle and how to intervene.
Most larger companies in Europe already have this infrastructure in place due to European Union occupational safety legislation. Employers are obliged to ensure mental and social well- being, regularly evaluate it, and address lagging areas while maintaining employee privacy — which is most easily accomplished through a well- being department. Specific practices vary country by country, but many companies have a chief well- being officer or chief happiness officer specifically focused on these tasks.
U. S. employers usually don’t take such a direct approach. Mental health triage often falls to HR departments, and chief well- being officers are few and far between. Most companies instead offer workers access to treatment through insurance benefits and employee assistance programs ( EAP), while also pushing subscriptions to meditation and stress relief platforms.
The stigma around mental health remains endemic in America. Employees largely remain quiet about personal challenges, and depression alone costs employers over US$ 100 billion per year, mostly in missed work and low productivity. While many companies have expanded EAP programs, only a fraction of eligible workers take advantage of them.