TRENDICATORS SPECIAL REPORT
Lyra
State of Mental Health at Work 2021: Top 5 Insights
Mental health at work is undergoing a rapid transformation. Even before COVID-19 upended life as we know it both on and off the job, workforce mental health was under pressure. The unrelenting nature of the global pandemic, plus a steady stream of additional stressors from economic uncertainty to political turmoil and a reckoning with racial injustice have only deepened the strain.
Employers were already getting savvier about the need for workforce mental health support pre-pandemic, observing that providing the resources employees need not only saves money otherwise lost to costly medical and disability claims, and the productivity-killing scourge of absenteeism and presenteeism-but also could save lives. Any human resources department that was unaware of this necessity got a crash course in it over the past year amid the unprecedented mental health fallout of COVID-19.
Today, companies across a range of industries are rising to the challenge to prioritize workplace mental health. The vast majority of HR and benefits teams say they plan to invest in it this year, and some are also launching a company-wide dialogue about mental health challenges. Meanwhile, many workers are still unaware of what behavioral health benefits are available to them, and view discussing mental health in the workplace as taboo.
As employers assume more responsibility to address American workers' well-being, the imperative to support workforce mental health appears to be abundantly clear to most companies. They recognize the high stakes of failing to address the workforce's soaring rates of mental health problems-from rising health care costs, reduced productivity, and employee turnover to the life-altering impact of untreated mental illness on workers and their families. The question of how organizations tackle this issue in the months and years ahead could make all the difference for individual employees, and entire businesses.
Key Takeaways
About This Report
Measurement-based care that offers employers access to aggregated data showing whether people are improving or recovering from their mental health symptoms with treatment based on validated clinical measurements
A network of highly trained and vetted care providers who are available to see new patients and committed to practicing evidence-based therapies-treatments that have been rigorously tested in randomized controlled trials and shown to be effective in treating various mental health conditions.
Comprehensive care to address the full spectrum of mental health needs, from stress and burnout to complex or chronic mental health diagnoses. To make an impact on employee mental health, you'll need something more meaningful than a one-size-fits-all solution. Your benefits should cover a range of care options such as mental health coaching, therapy, and medication prescribing to ensure members receive personalized care that's designed to address unique issues at every point along the continuum of mental health needs.
• A proven mental health care partner that has demonstrated the efficacy of its treatments in peer-reviewed scientific journals and can offer reliable customer references.
About the Publisher
Published by Lyra Health, a leading provider of innovative mental health benefits for more than 2 million U.S. employees and dependents, is transforming mental health care by creating a frictionless experience for members, providers, and employers. Using matching technology and an innovative digital platform, Lyra connects companies and their employees—plus spouses and children—to world-class therapists, mental health coaches, and personalized medication prescribing. Leading self-insured employers partner with Lyra to tailor value-driven mental health benefits programs specific to their workforce.
Publish Date
November 2021