Better mental health through holistic health benefits
By advocating for holistic health programs that properly consider and prioritize mental health, benefits advisors can help their clients support the full spectrum of employee health.
This means there is a real opportunity for substantial improvement. By advocating for holistic health programs that properly consider and prioritize mental health, benefits advisors can help their clients support the full spectrum of employee health. The outcome is not just a healthier workforce, but also better productivity and lower health care costs in the long run.
The overlooked importance of mental health
Mental health issues are far more prevalent in the workplace than many realize. In the United States, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports that 1 in 5 adults experience mental illness each year, which translates into tens of millions of people.
Poor mental health significantly impacts work performance and employee satisfaction. Employees dealing with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, or stress are more likely to struggle with low productivity, absenteeism and lower job satisfaction. Consider this statistic from the World Health Organization: Each year, depression and anxiety disorders take $1 trillion out of the economy worldwide in lost productivity.
Adding to the problem, mental health conditions can lead to higher turnover rates, as workers may leave their jobs in search of better mental health support or simply because they are unable to manage work-related stress.
There is also an undeniable link between mental and physical health. Mental health issues can exacerbate chronic physical conditions and vice versa. For example, individuals with depression are at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other chronic illnesses. On the other hand, chronic physical health problems can also increase the risk of mental health issues.
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These conditions are all interconnected. When we fail to adequately support mental health, we miss an opportunity to improve overall employee wellbeing. These are huge problems, affecting millions of people and making large impacts on businesses; yet these issues often go unaddressed in standard health benefits programs.
Challenges in traditional health benefit programs
When it comes to supporting mental health, traditional health benefit programs often fall short due to several significant challenges.
For starters, many traditional health benefit programs provide only surface-level interventions for mental health. These programs often include limited employee assistance programs (EAPs) that offer short-term counseling and crisis intervention. While EAPs can be beneficial in immediate situations, they don’t provide the long-term support necessary for managing chronic mental health conditions. This leads to a cycle where employees’ mental health issues are not adequately addressed at the root, resulting in recurring problems and ongoing productivity losses.
Legal concerns present major barriers to effectively addressing mental health in the workplace. Employers are often wary of digging deeply into employees’ mental health due to concerns about potential legal implications, such as claims of discrimination or wrongful termination. This fear leads many employers to go out of their way not to know about their employees’ mental health issues. By avoiding the acknowledgment of these problems, they hope to sidestep any legal complications that might arise. However, maintaining plausible deniability doesn’t solve the problem; employees are left without the resources they need to manage their conditions and thrive in the workplace.
The stigma associated with mental health can also deter employees from seeking help through their workplace benefits. Concerns about confidentiality and potential repercussions on their career prospects often discourage employees from taking advantage of the mental health resources they have available.
Another significant challenge is the lack of personalization in traditional health benefit programs. Mental health is highly individualized, and a one-size-fits-all approach is rarely effective. Traditional programs often fail to consider the unique needs of each employee, offering generic solutions that may not address specific circumstances.
Taking a holistic approach to mental and physical health
There is a better way to effectively address mental health issues in the workplace. Change is possible for companies that adopt a holistic approach that integrates both mental and physical health care and treat employees as individuals rather than symptoms. When they receive human-centered care, plan participants can build authentic relationships based on trust, a necessary foundation for lasting behavioral change. Nurse-led care coaching is a proven approach for driving change and growth.
At the core of a holistic approach is the recognition that each employee is a unique individual with specific needs and circumstances. Care coaches understand that mental health issues cannot be addressed with a one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, they offer personalized plans that take the whole person into account, both mental and physical health. This attention ensures that employees receive the specific support they need to manage their conditions.
Human-centered care goes beyond treating symptoms; it involves understanding the person behind those symptoms. This approach emphasizes empathy, active listening, and genuine concern for the employee’s overall wellbeing to build trust. This trust is crucial for employees to feel comfortable sharing their mental health challenges and for providers to offer effective, tailored support.
A key aspect of holistic care is integrating mental and physical health services. Mental health cannot be effectively managed in isolation from physical health; the two are too closely connected. Instead of offering temporary fixes for different symptoms in isolation, care coaches work with employees to develop sustainable health habits. This approach leads to lasting behavioral change and better health outcomes over time.
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Putting this responsibility with a neutral third-party provider helps to build trust. The employer doesn’t take on additional legal risks, and the participant knows that everything is truly confidential.
The role of benefits advisors
Benefits advisors play a crucial role in shaping the health and wellbeing of employees by selecting and recommending health benefit programs that will have the most impact for the client and their plan participants. To ensure these programs are truly beneficial for their clients, benefits advisors must carefully evaluate and choose options that offer comprehensive support, particularly in the mental health arena.
When evaluating health benefit programs, benefits advisors should look beyond the basic offerings and consider the depth and breadth of mental health services provided. Key criteria to assess include:
- Comprehensive coverage: Ensure the program covers a wide range of mental health services, including counseling, therapy, crisis intervention, and long-term support for chronic conditions.
- Integration with physical health: Evaluate whether the program offers care that addresses both mental and physical health, recognizing their interconnectedness.
- Personalization: Look for programs that provide personalized care plans tailored to the individual needs of employees, rather than one-size-fits-all solutions.
- Provider quality: Consider the qualifications and expertise of the mental health professionals within the program to be confident they are capable of delivering high-quality care.
Mental health support is not a one-time intervention but a continuous process that requires sustained effort and follow-up. Benefits advisors should also prioritize programs that offer ongoing support and regular check-ins with employees. This continuous engagement helps to monitor progress, adjust care plans as needed, and provide consistent encouragement and guidance. Sustained support ensures that employees receive the help they need to achieve lasting improvements in their mental health.
A healthier, more productive workforce
In today’s workplace, the need for comprehensive mental health support is more critical than ever. Traditional health benefit programs often fail to address the interconnectedness of mental and physical health, leaving significant gaps in employee care. A more holistic approach with nurse-led care coaching can help employees achieve better health – and help companies bring down health care costs while improving performance.
As we look to the future, several trends are poised to reshape mental health benefits. The integration of artificial intelligence offers the potential to provide more personalized care and early intervention through advanced data analytics and predictive modeling. But for all the potential opportunities AI presents, we must be careful. Humans have a remarkable ability to pick up on fake messaging, and people may become increasingly suspicious of anything they think could be AI instead of a person. Especially for individuals who are suffering from mental health issues, it will be important to have real people involved who can build relationships on trust, the only proven foundation for lasting change.
Benefits advisors are in a unique position to drive these changes by adopting holistic health programs that not only address mental health, but also integrate physical health services, providing a well-rounded approach to employee wellbeing. By embracing these innovative solutions, benefits advisors can help their clients achieve better health outcomes, enhanced productivity, and significant financial savings.
It is important to recognize that mental health is not a peripheral issue but a central component of overall health and productivity. By adopting holistic health programs, we can create healthier, more resilient workplaces that benefit both employees and employers.
Jeremy Vesta is Chief Operating Officer at Curally