Kendra Davenport is the President and CEO of Easterseals.
America is in the grip of a mental health crisis. And businesses have a role to play in helping address it. The statistics alone are shocking: More than one in five American adults (59.3 million people in 2022) are impacted by mental illnesses. A 2024 study found that 65% of adults “have experienced concerns about their own mental health or the mental health of their friends and family,” which is up 15 percentage points from 2020. This is why the Surgeon General has warned of an epidemic of loneliness and isolation, which puts Americans at a heightened risk of many serious ailments—from anxiety and depression to a stroke, cardiovascular disease, dementia and even premature death.
Mental health struggles are especially devastating for young people. Suicide is responsible for one death every 11 minutes and is the second highest cause of death among youth ages 10 to 14. Mental illness can have devastating impacts on any individual, especially those who are marginalized because of a disability, income status or race, to name just a few. And many disabled veterans struggle with psychological well-being.
While this is a very personal issue, it is also an issue that business leaders need to understand better and do more to address. The good news is that taking steps to improve the well-being of your employees will also benefit the well-being of your business.
Poor mental health in the workplace can result in burnout and exhaustion, which leads to high turnover rates, failure to meet deadlines or targets and a generally unmotivated workforce. If employees face anxiety or burnout or are disengaged, it can lead to costly mistakes for a business and make creative tasks more difficult.
Employers also have a tremendous impact on the mental well-being of their workforce. In fact, 70% of people say “their manager has more impact on their mental health than their therapist or their doctor.” This is on par with the impact of a spouse or partner. Considering that many of us spend most of our waking hours with our colleagues, this makes sense.
So how can businesses better approach this crisis, what can be done to ensure the well-being of employees and what tools are available to help navigate this complex challenge? The organization I lead has decades of experience providing mental health services and offers some valuable lessons for employers everywhere.
Take preventative action.
Prevention is so important when it comes to managing mental health issues. The Surgeon General has explained that the antidote to the loneliness epidemic is “to build more connected lives and a more connected society.”
Our organization answered this call by working to strengthen social connections among groups of people facing heightened risk of isolation. We connect at-risk populations with pro-social activities that provide powerful protection against loneliness and related conditions of anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. These programs serve individuals of all ages and disabilities, ranging from esports gaming clubs and summer camps to employment training and adult day services.
Employers can do a great deal to help prevent unnecessary work-related anxiety. Workplace policies that provide flexible work arrangements and promote open communication can go a long way. But perhaps one of the most important things is to build a supportive workplace culture. Creating a positive work environment that limits unnecessary stressors can allow people to do their best work while avoiding burnout and anxiety.
Focus on the well-being of your employees.
Beyond prevention, identifying mental health concerns is the first step toward addressing them. There are important steps that employers can take to help their team identify and navigate potential mental health needs—for example, investing in workplace mental health training for managers and administering workforce pulse surveys that allow company leaders to hear directly from staff about major common stressors.
One way our organization supports employee well-being is by offering (in collaboration with Mental Health America) a free and anonymous national mental health online screening tool, providing consumers the opportunity to determine if they or someone they care about is experiencing feelings and behaviors that match common symptoms of behavioral and addictive conditions. It only takes three to five minutes and provides immediate feedback. Participants then receive links to national resources, such as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and can also connect to our national toll-free call center to be connected to services in their communities, including many of our affiliates that offer behavioral health services. This type of mental health screening tool might be another important option for businesses to consider as they create a more supportive workplace.
Become a source of support.
Beyond partnering with organizations like ours, there are concrete actions that employers can take to make sure their employees get the support they deserve. For example, ensuring that employee benefits packages include mental health benefits will help make resources for treatment available to those who need it. Clearly communicating to all employees what resources are available during the onboarding process will help everyone understand their benefits if or when they need them. Cultivating a safe and open work environment where mental health can be discussed with a manager or HR representative can go a long way to removing the stigma about taking time off when needed or utilizing employer-provided benefits.
Mental health is a personal and complex issue that impacts all aspects of our lives, something about which we as a society have become increasingly aware. Through simple measures, business leaders can both answer the Surgeon General’s call to action while also building a stronger business. It’s a win-win for all.
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