Support Mental Health In the Workplace

Employee mental health is important, not just for their personal well-being, but for the company’s well-being. Mental health is an investment that is well worth the time and money.

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How Can Negative Mental Health Impact the Business?

Work is good for mental health, but a negative working environment can lead to mental health problems that impact productivity.

A Harvard Medical School study estimated that due to mental issues, the United States:

• Lost more than 4 million workdays

• Experienced 20 million “work cutback days” (days of impaired workplace performance)

Mental Health of America states that depression costs the US economy over $51 billion in absenteeism from work and lost productivity and $26 billion in medical costs

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Effects of Positive Mental Health

• Increased productivity

• Lower absenteeism

• Lower total medical costs

• Decreased work disability costs

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You Can Help

A depressed employee often will not seek treatment, due to fear of inadequate coverage from their insurance and job discrimination from lack of confidentiality.

Employers can change this stigma. With early recognition, intervention, and support, many employees overcome clinical depression and pick up where they left off.

According to the United Nation’s World Health Organization (WHO), for every dollar put into scaled up treatment for common mental disorders, there is a quadruple value of return ($4) in improved health and productivity.