Most Still Skittish About Discussing Mental Health at Work

AUSTIN, Texas — Despite the fact over half of all Americans have taken a “mental health day” off from work, most say they don’t admit it and are concerned their employers don’t do enough to support their mental well-being, according to a new survey from JobSage.

The Austin-based career guidance service conducted its survey in March, asking more than 1,000 respondents a series of questions about how their employer or workplace supports their mental health.

Participants in the survey ranged in age from 18 to 76, and identified themselves as male (50%), female (49%) and nonbinary (1%).

The study itself was a follow-up to a similar survey conducted last year, just as the nation began to emerge from the pandemic.

JobSage found that participants in this year’s survey were feeling more stressed (67%) and anxious (54%) due to their jobs than they were a year ago when only 55% of respondents said they were stressed and 36% said they felt anxious.

Despite the uptick, however, fewer people had quit or considered quitting their job, year over year, due to mental health strain.

In 2022, 65% of respondents told JobSage they’d either quit or come close to it at some point during the previous two years. In 2023, that number is down to 41%.

The rate of actually quitting over mental health strain is also down. In 2022, 28% of workers reported quitting a job at some point because of their mental health in the previous two years, and in 2023, that number is down to 10%.

While the stigma once attached to mental health issues appears to be lessening, it’s still not a subject that people want to discuss in the workplace.

Though 40% of respondents said they have talked about their own mental health in the workplace, three in five said such conversations made them uncomfortable, and 52% said they consider their mental health a private matter.

For 22% what stigma continues to surround mental health prevents them from discussing it, while 20% said they feared opening up in that way would impact their credibility at work.

So what stresses people out at work?

Despite differences in industries and job descriptions, compensation proved to be the top stressor at work with 42% of people, followed by being overworked (39%).

A new source of work-related stress for Americans in 2023 is the lack of benefits, but people are less stressed about job security in 2023 than they were in 2022. 

Along with a higher salary, an increased number of employees wish they had more mental health support. Half say their company doesn’t do enough to support their mental health in 2023, and in 2022 that number was only 20%. 

When it comes to their mental health, one in four people say work is what most negatively impacts it. But  there are ways employers can help. The biggest factor preventing people from using mental health services in 2023 is the cost, so it’s no surprise that nearly one in three wish their employers provided access to online mental health resources.

When employees struggle with mental health, it impacts them at work physically, the most common change being with their behavior or mood according to 70%. Decreased productivity or performance impacts 56% if they’re struggling with mental health. 

Other types of support employees want in 2023 is more time off and a more flexible work schedule. Both of these can promote a better work-life balance, and a better balance is the number one request according to 42% of those surveyed. 

Mental health days help promote the importance of focusing on one’s mental health and well-being, and 54% say they’ve taken one. Although more than half of employees have taken one, 48% say they didn’t tell anyone it was a mental health day, and 56% wouldn’t feel comfortable admitting to their boss that they needed the day. 

Many factors at work can impact employees’ mental health and require that they take a mental health day, including the fear of being laid off. Fearing that they might lose their job causes anxiety for 49% of respondents, depression for 26% and 21% literally lose sleep over it. 

Social support at work refers to the assistance provided by colleagues and supervisors that helps you emotionally or practically at work. This type of support can be presented in many ways, including encouragement, advice and guidance to name a few. Although 64% say having social support at their job would reduce stress and improve overall well-being, 73% say social support isn’t a priority at their office.  

For those who do have social support at work, 37% say social events are the most popular form. Getting together for team-building activities and employee assistance programs are the norm for 21%. 

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @DanMcCue