Mental health challenges lead to billions of lost working days
A new study examines the industry-specific stressors that lead to burnout and decreased productivity at work.
An estimated 12 billion working days are lost each year to depression and anxiety at a cost of $1 trillion to employers, according to a new guide to workplace mental health by Spring Health. The report estimates half the population can expect to develop one or more mental health conditions by the age of 75, but only 30% of those people will receive treatment thanks to a shortage of mental health providers, lack of transportation and financial barriers among other challenges.
In addition, mental health conditions play a role in driving up employer health spend, the guide said.
Spring Health took an in-depth look into eight industry sectors to discover the specific work-related factors driving mental health challenges in each. For example, health care workers report feeling anxious about heavy workloads, making life-and-death decisions, long and irregular shifts, and exposure to traumatic events. These stressors put health care workers at greater risk for depression, anxiety and PTSD. Over 90% of health care workers are at risk for one or more mental health conditions.
In the financial services and insurance sector, employees reported depression and anxiety related to internal and external volatility that create rapid and industry-wide changes. In addition, heavy workloads, long work hours and a highly competitive environment impact financial services and insurance workers. Workplace abuse was also cited as a driver of stress and anxiety.
Fast-paced, high-pressure work environments that often overlook mental health concerns can lead to feelings of burnout among tech workers. Employees in this sector also report feeling isolated as a result of remote work dynamics and say they struggle to relax outside of work. Over 77% of technology industry workers reported that their mental health conditions disrupted work, social or home life. However, improving mental health is a major focus for tech employees, with about three-quarters saying they are apprehensive about the state of their mental health post-COVID-19.
The physical rigors of the work often drive mental health challenges in manufacturing, construction, distribution and agriculture jobs. Manufacturing industry employees experience an average of 2.16 days of impaired productivity each week. In the retail sector, employees report dealing with increasingly confrontational and verbally aggressive customers.
Related: Mental health in the workplace: Shifting from stigma to solutions is key for employers
Those employed in higher education say helping their students deal with their mental health challenges takes a toll on their own mental health. Meanwhile, employees in the food and beverage industry say contending with long hours, low pay and harassment from patrons contributes to erosion in their mental health.
The prevalence of alcohol use in the legal field is exceedingly high, the report found. Many people in this field reported feeling self-doubt and a sense of failure.
Key actions employers can take to help employees struggling with mental health conditions include destigmatizing mental health, on-site mental health programs and education and awareness campaigns.