Infographic: The employee mental health crisis is coming

Spring is here, the days are getting longer and experts are teasing a potential return to normal in time for 4th of July fireworks and summer barbeques. Still, the damage the pandemic has inflicted on the mental health of Americans won’t be so quickly undone. According to a recent survey from Unmind and WELCOA, 45% of employees are experiencing symptoms of burnout, and 38% admit that pandemic has negatively impacted their mental health.

How severe and long-lasting the repercussions are will depend in part on how employers respond. While 90% of employers surveyed by Unmind said they were worried about employee burnout and a majority (65%) expect the health implications of COVID will impact their business in the next year, only 37% feel they understand their employees’ health and well-being.

Related: Are companies doing enough for mental health? CEOs and employees disagree

“The research makes starkly clear that a huge proportion of our workforces have been impacted by the events over the last year, with many employees finding it difficult to cope day to day,” says Dr. Nick Taylor, CEO and co-founder at Unmind. “But there’s also a positive part. The topic of mental health has been brought to the forefront of our conversations — in the media, in our personal lives, and in the workplace. Our data shows there’s a huge demand for mental health support among our workforces and a real understanding of its importance among leaders.”

Check out the infographic below for more details on how the pandemic is affecting employees’ mental health–and what employers can do to help.

Read more: 

• One year into a pandemic: Helping employees build mental resilience
• Employers: We need to do more than just talk about mental health
• Stress in the workplace and the risk of employee burnout