Why employee mental health is a 'can't-ignore' issue

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people experienced new anxieties about their health, income, families, and overall stability. Since then, other external forces, including economic and political instability and the rise of new technology like AI, have also significantly impacted employees' mental health.

According to a new survey of over 1,100 U.S. employees from Mind Share Partners and Qualtrics, 90% of respondents reported "at least minor levels of one mental health challenge." The top three stressors were U.S. politics, global events, and personal finances.

Leaders are also experiencing strains to their mental health. In a 2024 survey from Businessolver, 55% of CEOs reported experiencing a mental health issue during the past year, including anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

With all the issues potentially affecting employees' mental health, it has become a "can't-ignore" topic for organizations. "It's time for leaders to recommit to supporting their employees' mental health—and their own," Bauer writes.

5 ways to support employees' mental health

To better support your employees' mental health, here are five strategies leaders can implement:

1. Target systems, not individuals

Although companies have been investing more in employee wellness programs, research suggests that these programs haven't actually improved employees' well-being. 

2. Consider your employees' different identities

According to Bauer, identity "is a critical dimension of how people experience and talk about mental health challenges." For example, younger employees may be more comfortable talking about their mental health than older ones. Men may also feel more stigma about their mental health than women.

"[W]ork is about people, and people are messy and difficult," said Morra Aarons-Mele, a workplace mental health expert. To help leaders account for different perspectives, Aarons-Mele recommends:

• Creating a shared language and baseline of knowledge around mental health
• Ensuring that men are included in mental health conversations
• Providing people with opportunities to share their lived experiences and different aspects of their identity to connect with each other

4. Increase participation in mental health programs

Research suggests that storytelling can be a way to increase employee participation in mental health programs.

In a study of 2,400 employees at Novartis, researchers found that presenting participants with different anonymous stories of colleagues using the company's mental health program could increase uptake by as much as 8%.

Although an 8% increase may not seem significant, the researchers noted that the increased uptake could translate to as many as 2,000 additional employees using the resource at a large company like Novartis, which employs roughly 78,000 people.

5. Don't neglect your own mental health

"To be effective at leading others, it's critical that you take care of yourself," Bauer writes.

To help leaders better manage their anxiety, Aarons-Meles outlines a four-step process:

1.       Take some time to reflect on what you're feeling and why.

2.       Begin developing tactics to manage your anxiety, such as healthy compartmentalizing and connecting with others.

3.       Learn how to be vulnerable with peers and employees without oversharing or derailing conversations.

4.       Make sure you have a support system outside of work to help you gut-check your decision-making and give you advice on more sensitive issues.

Following these tips can help you "have better workdays, both when things are status quo and during transitions and tough times," Aarons-Mele said.

Overall, "[a]s a leader, taking a more holistic view of your employees' mental health — and working through and sharing your own experiences — can make them feel more engaged and improve the health of your organization," Bauer writes.