Highlighted Findings

A national poll of U.S. employees conducted by Harris Poll for the CEO Roundtable found:

A Prevalence of Mental Health Disorders

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• Roughly three in four employees (76 percent) indicate they have struggled with at least one issue that affected their mental health.

• About two in five employees (42 percent) answered yes when asked if they have ever been diagnosed with a mental health disorder.

• Although many were willing to divulge their disorder in this confidential survey, 63 percent of those diagnosed with a disorder say they have not disclosed it to their employer.

Perceptions of the Employer’s Role

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• Nearly nine in 10 survey respondents agree that employers have a responsibility to support mental health. Although more than eight in 10 employees say their employers provide at least one mental health offering, they also say those employers can do more.

• For example, 42 percent of employees would like their employers to provide more information about mental health benefits, accommodations and resources.

• 40 percent want their employers to train managers and supervisors to identify emotional distress among workers (see results from a national survey on Employees’ Perceptions and Attitudes on Mental Health In the Workplace)

Mental health program summaries provided by 18 CEO Roundtable companies indicate that employers are implementing a range of sciencebased prevention programs to support workplace mental health and wellbeing (see Company Mental Health Program Summaries).

Recommended Actionable Strategies for Employers

The American Heart Association’s Center for Workplace Health convened a panel of a dozen mental health experts to review information in this report, as well as published guidelines and standards for workplace mental health.¹ The panel, which consisted of individuals from academia, industry, a labor union, and consumer advocacy groups, evaluated the feasibility and impact of workplace mental health strategies documented in the occupational health, public health and epidemiology literature. Based on their review, this report sets out high-level strategies and tactics organized around seven workplace health pillars to guide employers who wish to create and sustain mental health-friendly workplaces.

Leadership

Leaders demonstrate visible and proactive actions to build a diverse and inclusive culture that supports a mental health-friendly workplace.

Policies and Environmental Support

Develop a broad Mental Health Plan for the organization that can be fully implemented, understood, and available to all employees.

Communication

Develop a plan to communicate clearly and often to employees about the organization’s mental health policies, medical benefits, programs, education resources and training opportunities.

Programs and Benefits

Offer a comprehensive package of medical and behavioral health benefits and programs based on caring for and supporting employees.

Engagement

Involve all employees in all aspects of workplace decision-making.

Community Partnerships

Use community partnerships to promote the internal and external objectives of the Mental Health Plan.

Reporting Outcomes

Collect and analyze a variety of data to identify strengths and opportunities to continually improve the mental health and well-being of employees.

Each strategic area is supported by several evidence-informed tactics. For more information, see Actionable Strategies.

1. Nexø M. A., Kristensen J. V., Grønvad M. T., Kristiansen J., & Poulsen O. M. (2018). Content and quality of workplace guidelines developed to prevent mental health problems: results from a systematic review. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health(5), 443-457. doi:10.5271/sjweh.3731. Retrieved from http://www.sjweh.fi/show_abstract.php?abstract_id=3731 http://dx.doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3731