Mental Health Issues Rise In Employees – Stats You Didn’t Know

Mental health issues arise in employees. It means employers need to recognize the signs and provide support.

Mental health concerns can manifest in many ways. They include fatigue, anxiety, depression, and difficulty concentrating or completing tasks.

Mental Health Issues Rise In Employees

The US economy suffers not just from pandemic-related economic losses. But it also from a surge in mental health issues among employees.

There are many reasons why mental health issues have been on the rise among employees. These include:

– Job insecurity

– Lack of access to healthcare coverage

– Long work hours, and

– Social isolation due to remote working situations.

Let’s discuss which mental health issues are on the rise:

Depression:

Clinical depression is one of the worst impacts on the US economy. As per Mental Health Awareness National:

– Depression can cause a $51 billion cost in absenteeism from work and productivity loss

– Also, it can cause $26 billion in treatment costs

– It is among the top three prevalent mental health issues in employees. The other two are family issues and stress.

– Depression and related disorders can cause up to 3% of short-term disability days.

– 76% of short-term disability cases due to depression happened in females

– As per First Chicago Corporations, depression-related disorders make up half or more of all money spent on mental health issues.

– Depression treatment costs are almost similar to that of heart diseases.

More Stats

As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

– In 2020, almost 18.8 million American adults will likely suffer from depression.

– 80% of people with depression had some functional limitations in daily activities

– 27% of people had work and home life difficulties due to depression.

– With such stats, a depressed patient could miss an average of 4.8 workdays within 3-months time. Also, they could suffer almost 11.5 days of productivity loss.

– Depression can cost employers almost $17 to $44 billion loss due to 200 million lost workdays.

Most cases of depression and related disorders are among the:

– Personal care and services jobs (10.8%)

– Food preparation and serving (10.3%)

The least number of cases of depression are among the:

– Engineering, architecture, and surveying (4.3%)

– Life, physical and social sciences (4.4%)

– Installation, maintenance, and repair (4.4%)

Stress:

Stress is a major contributor to mental health issues in the workplace. It can lead to absenteeism, decreased productivity, and burnout.

– Coloniallife states 41% of workers are less productive due to stress. 22% of workers are less engaged in work. 15% of workers look for a new job due to stress.

– Almost 20% of workers think about their stressors for almost 5 hours daily.

– As per Deloitte’s study, 91% of people have negative effects of stress on their work quality.

– ADAA study says that 7 in 10 adults face personal relationship issues due to work stress.

– As per a ScienceDirect study, job satisfaction reduction causes a decline in marital satisfaction.

– Stress.org claims that 25% of respondents called their jobs the number one stressor.

– Globalnews.ca states that working moms are 18% more stressed than the rest of the workforce.

– As per HSE, common causes of stress at work are changes at work (85%), lack of support (14%), workload (44%), etc.

– As per APA., 6 out of 10 adults list work and money as sources of stress.

– Randstad states that 58% of workers leave jobs or consider leaving them due to office politics.

– SHRM states low salaries, no growth opportunities, unrealistic job expectations, and long hours as stress factors.

– Realbuzz.com calls no healthy work-life balance one of the major causes of work stress.

– As per ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, 17% of healthcare workers report being “very stressed” at work.

More Stats:

– Pwc mentions that 80% of remote employees are “not anxious at all” or “are stressed only to a modest degree”. This emphasizes the importance of remote work and work-life balance.

– Customer service employees are almost 20 minutes unhappy every working hour. Verizon.com

– The Marlin Company survey conducted that 80% of workers feel stressed at work. Half of them wanted help in managing stress. It also found that 38% of respondents felt more work pressure than last year.

– As per APA, Millennials and Gen Z have the highest stress levels. Also, they have the highest level of trouble coping with stress.

– As per Gallup’s study of stress levels in poor and rich Americans, 7 in 10 adults in the poorest 20% of people had stress daily. Also, 4 in 10 adults in the richest 20% of people had stress daily.

– As per APA, work was number three among the top common stress causes for 61% of respondents. Money and the future of the nation were the other two.

– As per SHRM, 51% of employees in low-paying jobs are under stress. 41% of employees in average or high-paying jobs are under stress.

– Researchgate.net mentions long working hours as a major source of work stress. (21% of employees agreed)

– 33.3% of customer services professionals feel exhausted after work hours. (Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

– As per a study by Stress, almost 55% of US adults felt stressed at work in 2019.

The major sources of stress are workload, long hours, and lack of employer support.

The rise in mental health issues among employees is concerning. It can lead to burnout, anxiety, and depression.

Anxiety & Burnout:

Anxiety has been linked to mental health issues. Multiple factors can cause anxiety in the workplace. It can lead to burnout, a state of physical and emotional exhaustion.

As per the CFAH report:

– 95% of employees have anxiety at work. 5% didn’t have any anxiety.

– 39% of employees reported moderate levels of stress. Only 6% of employees report unsustainably high levels of stress

Mental Health Issues Rise After The Pandemic

The pandemic has had a serious impact on our mental health. With changes in work environments and situations, it is natural to feel overwhelmed.

CDC surveyed US adults in late June 2020. It stated that 31% of respondents reported anxiety and depression.

Moreover, 13% have started taking substances, while 26% reported stress symptoms. Also, 11% of respondents considered suicide in the last 30 days.

As compared to the year before the pandemic, these numbers have doubled. Thus, it is clear that mental health issues have skyrocketed.

What Can Employers Do?

Employers can take certain steps to mitigate mental health issues among their staff. Here are some ways they can do so:

– Provide access to mental health services. Employers can provide access to mental health resources. These can be counselors and therapists and online programs.

– Implement work arrangements. Providing flexible work or telecommuting options can help reduce stress and increase productivity.

– Encourage wellness activities. Regular physical activity and healthy eating habits can improve one’s mental state.

– Promote social interaction. Connecting with colleagues through virtual meetings or team-building exercises can improve morale.

– Offer professional development opportunities. Professional development courses and workshops can boost self-confidence, resilience, and motivation.

– Cultivate a positive working environment. Create a positive work culture where employees voice their opinions and feelings. It can help create a sense of safety and trust.

– Provide mental health resources. Access to mental health professionals helps employees manage stress and address any issues.

– Promote work–life balance. Encouraging employees to take regular breaks and vacations. Setting boundaries between work and personal life. It can help reduce burnout and promote better overall well-being.

– Facilitate open communication. Open dialogue is key in addressing any mental health issues in the workplace.

Employees should feel comfortable speaking up about their concerns. Managers should proactively create an environment where communication is valued and encouraged.

– Monitor workloads regularly. Overloading employees can lead to increased stress levels and mental health issues.

Managers should monitor workloads regularly and make adjustments as needed.

Why Are Mental Health Issues Increasing?

The world is going through an unprecedented situation due to the pandemic.

– People have become increasingly isolated, leading to loneliness and depression.

– Moreover, the lack of physical contact has made people feel disconnected.

– Financial insecurity has added to the stress.

– Furthermore, many workers are facing joblessness or reduced salaries. These issues are taking a toll on individuals’ mental health.

– Job loss also results in an erosion of self-confidence, leading to anxiety and depression.

Final Word:

Mental health issues among employees are on the rise. As per the CDC survey, the scale of the issue is shocking. Organizations must take proactive steps to prioritize mental health. They must ensure a safe and healthy work environment for everyone.

It will help employees stay productive and happy while creating an inclusive culture.

This pandemic has taught us lessons that can be implemented – it’s time we start doing that.

To ensure the well-being of employees, organizations must prioritize mental health.

They must take the necessary steps to create a healthier work environment.

Last Updated on 18 seconds by Shahzaib Arshad