Content area
Full text
Addressing mental health issues on the job is the new imperative
Recent data highlights a surge in suicide rates in the United States to its highest levels in decades. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the overall suicide rate rose by 24 percent between 1999 and 2014. Suicide deaths increased from 29,199 in 1999 to 42,773 in 2014. Suicide rates for men and women aged 45-64 increased by 43 percent and 63 percent, respectively. Men still account for almost 80 percent of the total number of suicides in the United States.
Business case for addressing mental health
Behavioral health disorders are of similar magnitude to physical disorders such as diabetes and heart disease. Statistics shared by Screening for Mental Health, Inc. include:
* Depression is estimated to cause 200 million lost workdays each year at a cost to employers of $17 to $44 billion.
* In a three-month period, individuals with depression miss an average of 4.8 workdays and suffer 11.5 days of reduced productivity.
* Research suggests that 60-80 percent of individuals with mental health disorders will improve with early treatment
* 78 percent of employees experiencing psychological distress are not receiving treatment
* Of adults with both a mental health and substance use disorder, only 7.9 percent receive treatment for both conditions, and more than half receive no treatment at all.
Why are these facts so important?
According to Suicide Awareness Voices for Education (SAVE), it's estimated that more than 90 percent of individuals who die by suicide were experiencing a diagnosable mental illness at the time of their death. Addressing mental health and suicide prevention in safety, health, wellness and employee benefit...