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This supplement will explore innovative approaches to mental health and wellness including identifying vulnerable employees, improving outcomes by providing a whole person approach to both mental and physical health, and measuring the financial ROI of mental health benefits and initiatives.
Kids are back in classrooms. Many employees are returning to offices, whether on-site full-time or hybrid. Face masks are mostly optional. Everyone who wants a Covid-19 vaccine has access to one.
Life is returning to what many are calling the "new normal." But what hasn't rebounded in a post-pandemic world is mental health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), anxiety and depression increased by 25% during the pandemic1. And many Americans are still suffering. WHO estimates that even without pandemic pressures, one in five Americans will experience a mental illness in a given year.
Mental health impacts all of us: the vast majority (90%) of Americans believe there is a mental health crisis in the U.S.2
For some, mental health illness will manifest as depression or anxiety. Others suffer from substance use disorder (SUD). Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time. In particular, depressive illnesses tend to co-occur with substance use and anxiety disorders.
Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is also on the rise. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that alcohol consumption increased by 39% and binge drinking increased by 30% in 2021.3 Johns Hopkins estimates that substance use disorder affects more than 20 million Americans ages 12 and over.
Employers as Advocates for Mental Health and Wellness
Employers have a powerful role to play in helping employees take steps to improve their mental well-being. Thankfully, most employees are open to the help, with 87% saying that actions from their employer would help their mental health.
Employers also have...