There may be differences among managers and frontline employees.
Excellent or Very Good Physical Health
Base: All qualified respondents (n=1,041)
Q710 How would you rate your own physical health? Excellent, Very good, Good, Fair, Poor
Self-reported Mental Health
Base: All qualified respondents (n=1,041)
Q710 How would you rate your own mental health? Excellent, Very good, Good, Fair, Poor
Diagnosed with Mental Health Disorder
However, managers are more likely to say they have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder than non-managing employees.*
Q740 Has a doctor, nurse, or other health care professional ever diagnosed you with any of the following mental health disorders? Please select all that apply.
There are also differences in perceptions toward employers’ commitment to health, in terms of manager status. Managers are more likely than non-managers to agree that:
Employer provides an environment that is supportive of employees’ mental health
Employer communicates to employees the mental health resources available
Information about mental health is included in general health communication from their employer
Base: all qualified respondents, (n=1,041)
Q815: How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements about your employer’s culture toward mental health? Strongly agree, Somewhat agree, Somewhat disagree, Strongly disagree
Free to Talk About Mental Health
They are more likely than non-managers to agree that employees are encouraged by leadership to talk about their mental health to their supervisor, free from fear of stigma.
Base: all qualified respondents, (n=1,041)
Q815: How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements about your employer’s culture toward mental health?
Strongly agree, Somewhat agree, Somewhat disagree, Strongly disagree
Managers have more positive attitudes than front-line employees regarding their employers’ commitment. For example, those who manage or supervise were more likely than non-managers to agree:
Employer is committed to overall mental health of employees.
Employer is committed to the well-being of employees.
These perceptions may relate to why managers are more likely to disclose their mental health disorder to their employer than non-managing employees.
Q805: How much do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements about your employer’s commitment to employees?
Strongly Agree, Somewhat Agree, Somewhat Disagree, Strongly Disagree
Q815: How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements about your employer’s culture toward mental health?
Strongly agree, Somewhat agree, Somewhat disagree, Strongly disagree
Q750: Have you ever told your employer about your mental health disorder? Base: Diagnosed With Mental Health Disorder (n=371)
Managers may be less fearful of stigma around reporting a mental health issue.
When it comes to treatment, however, managers are more likely than non-managers to indicate they have not been treated for their diagnosed mental health disorder (31 percent vs. 18 percent). This may mean that they are not getting the health care they need despite being aware of and having access to resources.
Nevertheless, employers should ensure that communication about available treatment resources is reaching all staff, including non-management staff, and that the communication includes messaging about the privacy and confidentiality of disclosed employee health information.