“A dollar invested into mental health will yield 5x return, with productivity, higher retention, less absenteeism, and lower error rate.” (Dan Simons, TEDxFoggyBottom)

Life is challenging. It seems like every year brings more things to worry about: Economic uncertainty, climate change, social and political divisions, the technological changes of AI. The list goes on.

A significant portion of the workforce experiences mental health challenges. A report from HHS.gov found that 76% of U.S workers reported at least one symptom of a mental health issue, and 84% attributed these challenges to workplace stress. Globally, an estimated 12 billion working days are lost annually due to depression and anxiety, costing the global economy an estimated $1 trillion annually in lost productivity, according to the WHO.

HOW YOU CAN HELP YOUR EMPLOYEES

According to the 2025 NAMI/Ipos Workplace Mental Health Poll, "...At companies with at least 100 (full-time) employees (the employees) believe discussing mental health at work is important, but they need more resources to feel comfortable doing so. Moreover, employees generally support colleagues' mental health concerns but are more hesitant to discuss their own, indicating persistent stigma. Two in five respondents worry their career would be negatively impacted if they talked about their mental health concerns in the workplace. Women, caregivers, and LGBTQ+ employees are particularly vulnerable to burnout."

The same poll revealed a widespread lack of awareness about how to access employer-sponsored mental health benefits, especially among entry-level employees.

It is important that HR as well as supervisors and managers ensure that employees are knowledgeable about their mental health benefits.

A detailed analysis of the poll, shows that more mental health training and education is needed. A quarter of employees are unsure if their employer offers mental health benefits, with uncertainty rising to 1 in 3 among entry-level employees. Additionally, only 21% of employees have received formal education on mental health issues from their employers, with slightly more (28%) trained on available resources.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH ARE EQUALLY IMPORTANT

Workplace health initiatives are often touted as a win-win benefit. Employees are urged to join health clubs, gyms, leagues, and engage in other physical activities to help them stay active and healthy. It has long been recognized that a physically healthy workforce lowers medical costs and absenteeism. The same recognition as it relates to mental health is only now being realized.

BENEFITS FOR EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS

The conclusions from the poll show that employees express high demand for mental health education and resources. When implemented, mental health training can have a positive impact on workplace discussions. Moreover, nine in ten believe offering mental health care benefits positively impact workplace culture:

1. The majority find all mental health training topics helpful, from stress management to identifying crisis situations.
2. More than eight in ten employees recognize mental health and well-being training as important for a positive workplace culture, statistically unchanged from last year.
3. When implemented, mental health training proves to be beneficial, with over half (57%) of employees feeling more comfortable discussing mental health afterward, statistically unchanged from 2024.
4. Leadership benefits greatly, with 75% of managers reporting training around mental health makes them more comfortable talking about mental health or mental health resources with their team.
5. Ninety-one percent of employees believe mental health care benefits are important in creating a positive workplace culture.

HOW CAN ASN HELP?

The health, productivity and general well-being of your workforce is our highest priority. If you would like to discuss how ASN can help you with any of the issues discussed above, give is a call. We would love to have that conversation.