Why mental health needs to be a top priority in the workplace

Spotlighting the role of mental health in the workplace, the U.S. surgeon general issued new guidanceopens in new window outlining how long working hours, limited autonomy, and low wages aren’t just driving a U.S. labor shortage, but may actually be at the heart of the nation’s mental health crisis.

Putting mental health at the center of workplace policies is more important than ever as the nation grapples with financial stressors, shifts in workplace culture exacerbated by the pandemic, and growing concerns about stress among Americans. Extensive psychological research shows the importance of providing mental health coverage, appropriate training for employees, flexible work options, and equity in the workplace, among other evidence-based tactics to improve the workplace.

“A healthy workforce is the foundation for thriving organizations and healthier communities,” said U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD. “As we recover from the worst of the pandemic, we have an opportunity and the power to make workplaces engines for mental health and well-being.”

More than 160 million people are a part of the U.S. workforce today, and the average full-time employee spends approximately half of their waking life at work. Further, the covid-19 pandemic changed the nature of work for many and the relationship that some workers have with their jobs, often blurring the lines between their professional and personal lives and creating stress and burnout. In fact, nearly two in five (39%) workers report that their work environment has had a negative impact on their mental health, according to APA’s 2022 Work and Well-being Survey.

The Surgeon General’s Framework for Mental Health and Well-Being in the Workplaceopens in new window, which cites research from APA, is designed to encourage organizations to rethink how they protect workers from harm, foster a sense of connection among workers, show workers that they matter, make space for their lives outside work, and support their growth.

Specific recommendations in the surgeon general’s report, based on psychological science, include asking workplace leaders to listen to workers about their needs, increasing pay, and limiting communications outside of work hours.

Developing policies and practices supporting the mental health and well-being of all workers costs money, time, and energy. But evidence published by APA shows that the cost of failing to support employees’ psychological well-being is often far higher.

APA’s Striving for Mental Health in the Workplace initiative, launched in May 2022, found employees with high levels of stress are more likely to miss work or to show lower engagement and commitment while at work, which can negatively affect an organization’s bottom line. Even before the pandemic, employee stress levels were high. A 2018 analysisopens in new window found the estimated cost of job stress nationwide may be as much as $187 billion, with 70% to 90% of those losses resulting from declines in productivity—and the pandemic has only worsened the situation.

Organizational leaders are well-positioned to influence a positive culture shift and normalize mental health in the workplace. These positive and supportive workplace practices can boost employee mental health, company morale, and your bottom line, said Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, APA’s chief executive officer.

“On average, we spend 90,000 hours of our lifetimes at work,” Evans said. “Businesses and employers have a responsibility to ensure that those hours are spent in environments that support the mental health of employees and their families. Doing so is not only better for people’s well-being, but better for the businesses themselves. We cannot underestimate the positive impact we can have when we align our workplace policies and practices with people’s psychological health.”

Evans and other workplace mental health advocates suggest leaders focus on several actions to improve employee mental health. Among them: training managers to support employees’ mental health; increasing employees’ options for where, when, and how they work; ensuring health insurance policies have robust mental health coverage; using employee feedback to improve and evolve the workplace culture; and looking at organizational policies through a lens of equity, diversity, and inclusion.

While training managers and making sure insurance plans cover mental health seem like obvious fixes, how flexible work arrangements improve mental health may be less apparent. However, research shows autonomy improves mental well-being.

“When we feel like we have more control over our lives, it reduces our psychological distress and improves our mental well-being,” Evans said. “I think it’s a mistake for leaders to discount the importance of having that flexibility.”