What is the current state of workplace mental health in the United States? Are people generally doing well now that the pandemic is largely behind us? Do people feel comfortable talking about their mental health while at work? What about employers? Are they doing what they can to provide support and resources for people who may need them?
There are always a lot of questions relating to workplace mental health, and in some cases finding answers can be difficult. However, NAMI, or the National Alliance on Mental Illness, just published a poll that it conducted in collaboration with Ipsos. The poll attempts to dig deeply into what’s happening with this always prevalent and pressing issue. We’re going to discuss some of the data uncovered in the 2024 NAMI Workplace Mental Health Poll in hopes that it will help people understand where we are currently.
Details From the 2024 NAMI Workplace Mental Health Poll
The poll, which can be found in full here, included a total of 2,062 people who were at least 18 years old, who worked on a fulltime basis and whose workplace included at least 100 employees. The interviews took place at the beginning of January. Everyone from entry-level employees to top-level executives contributed to the overall results.
Workplace Mental Health Conversations
A good place to start with our discussion relates to the comfort level people have with regards to talking about their mental health at work. According to the results:
- 74 percent of respondents believe it is appropriate to discuss mental health concerns at work.
- Only 58 percent of employees said that they would feel comfortable sharing their own mental health concerns in the workplace.
- 70 percent of senior-level employees have not received training with regards to managing workplace mental health.
- 83 percent of the respondents agreed that mental health and well-being training would be important in creating a positive culture in the workplace.
- 63 percent of managers agree that their employer provides them with the proper resources to support mental health of their direct reports.
Mental Health Insurance Coverage
We have already spent a lot of time providing as many mental health insurance coverage answers as possible, and you can take a look at them here and here. We also have details available on our in-network insurance partners as well as the types of insurance we accept or work with out of network.
Despite the efforts of so many, the results of the workplace mental health survey indicate that far too many people remain unfamiliar with how their mental health insurance coverage works or what is available to them.
Below are just a few data points worth considering with regards to coverage:
- 92 percent of employees believe that mental healthcare coverage is important to creating a positive workplace culture.
- Only 60 percent stated that their employers offer such coverage.
- 25 percent of employees stated that they did not know if their employers offered mental healthcare coverage.
- 20 percent of employees stated that it is difficult to find mental healthcare that is affordable, in network or available in a timely manner.
- Between 31 and 46 percent of employees stated that they were not sure about the difficulty in accessing affordable and timely mental healthcare through their employers.
Progress Is Being Made
While some of the workplace mental health statistics above are indeed troubling, it is also clear that we as a society are making progress with regards to how we approach mental health. For far too long, as we’ve discussed, the stigma attached to mental health struggles has been a problematic barrier to people getting help that they need. Given that the majority of the poll respondents view mental healthcare as important in the workplace, it’s likely that this situation will continue to improve.
Unfortunately, there still appears to be a large problem with regards to mental health insurance and people’s knowledge of their benefits and coverage. This is a problem we’ve been detailing for years, and we’re going to continue to push hard to help people understand those rights, coverages and available benefits.
If you’re unsure of your status, you can always speak to coworkers who handle your benefits for your employer. They can either tell you more about your benefits or put you in touch with someone who can help explain them to you. What seems inarguable is that if people are aware that they have coverage and what that coverage generally entails, they are more likely to use it if they encounter problems.
How SoCal Empowered Can Help
Data from such valuable sources as the NAMI Workplace Mental Health 2024 Poll always helps more people understand more things about mental health, where we stand and what they can or should do to improve their own situations. We’ve come a long way in recent years, but we still have a lot of work to do in order to make sure that everyone who needs help with their mental health knows how to get it and then goes and gets it.
If you feel that you or a loved one is suffering in this regard, the time to act is now. Workplace mental health is something that’s critically important and seems to be improving, but ultimately you will need to take that first step towards helping your situation.
SoCal Empowered can help you if you have questions about your insurance as well. Just give us a call and we will listen to your situation. If we feel that a stay with us is the best idea, we will work to make that happen, including working with your insurance company to determine coverage before you make any commitments. If another resource is what’s best, we will help connect you to someone who can help.
Contact us today to find out more about how we can help you get this process started.
