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Why is mental health a business issue?
Health care costs continue to be a serious issue for businesses. While many health issues such as heart disease have evolved to include prevention as a means of containing costs, mental health and wellness remain largely overlooked and misunderstood
Mental health affects the bottom line.
Stress, depression and anxiety are significant health issues in today's workplace that can result in decreased productivity, increased absenteeism, poor work quality and low morale.
- 1 in 5 Americans will experience a mental health disorder in a given year, leaving no workplace unaffected.
- 51 - the percent of working Americans who lose Sunday-night sleep from work-related anxiety (monster.com)
- More than two-thirds of costs associated with mental health problems are related to lost productivity and absenteeism.
- Treatment success rates for many mental health disorders surpass those of other medical conditions.
Business success depends on resilient, well-adjusted and motivated employees. Businesses that proactively address mental health as part of overall health can realize significant benefits. Mental health-friendly policies and practices can bring greater productivity, reduced absenteeism, health insurance cost containment and improved retention.They can, in fact, positively affect the entire culture of the company.
Choosing to address mental health in your workplace is simply good business
The Healthy Mind Connection, a collaborative effort between Mental Health America of Wisconsin (formerly Mental Health Association in Milwaukee County) and the business community, provides education, tools and resources to address mental health in the workplace.
Featured Podcast
The Economic Burden of Depression in the U.S.
The Down & Up Show #46
Dr. Reef Karim & Dr. Ronald Kessler
April 10, 2008
Dr. Reef Karim speaks with Dr. Ronal Kessler, a professor of healthcare policy at Harvard, who discusses the effect that depression has on the economy, including how people with depression are more likely to experience unemployment, absences from work, and inefficiency. He also talks about the financial benefits to employers for providing healthcare programs that cover depression treatment.
Click here to download the podcast.
To listen to other Down & Up Show podcasts
click here.
Featured Article
That sinking feeling: Depression saps workers, employers
Mental illness takes bigger toll on business than physical woes, and disability absences are twice as long when triggered by depression
Financial Week
By Elayne Robertson Demby
January 14, 2008
If your bottom line has you feeling blue, don't let that feeling get out of hand, or the bottom line could really suffer.
That's because while workers with behavioral health problems-a phrase that encompasses substance abuse and mental health problems-are a small percentage of the overall work force, they are responsible for a large percentage of overall health expenditures.
Studies indicate, for example, that roughly 6% of the
U.S. work force is depressed at any given time. But according to Sibson Consulting in
Chicago, behavioral health issues cause 217 million missed workdays annually, account for 7.6% of total health-care dollars, and are the fifth leading cause of short-term disability and, ultimately, the third leading cause of long-term disability. Studies also show that 29% of health- and productivity-related expenditures are a result of employee absence and disability caused by physical health problems, while 47% are caused by mental health conditions, said Sibson consultant Ruth Donahue. Download full article.
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For more information:
Becky Michelsen
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