Mental health care is now a baseline employee benefit

Long story short: Mental health care is now a baseline benefit

Employee demand for mental health support is not going anywhere anytime soon. And really, it’s not hard to understand: Life certainly hasn’t gotten less stressful over the past two years.

In 2021, according to a survey by media agency Mindshare, 76% of employees reported at least one symptom of a mental health condition, up from 59% in 2019.

Our top stories this week spotlight some good news as we approach the end of Mental Health Awareness Month. Companies and communities continue to find smart, considered and innovative ways to extend mental health support to those in need.

From easy access via digital apps to focused support for workers enduring active trauma, check out the variety of new solutions continuing to find their way to the workplace.

The 10 most popular mental health and wellness apps

Throughout the pandemic, consumers learned to prioritize their mental health and wellness, all from the comfort of their homes. In 2021, 24.5% of submitted insurance claims were for digital health and wellness perks and apps, according to HR tech company Compt, which reviewed over 100,000 claims. That commitment to self-care is on track to keep pace through 2022.

“The pandemic spurred an increased focus on the ongoing mental health crisis with demand for health and fitness apps increasing by 25% compared to 2019,” says Lexi Sydow, head of insights, digital insights platform data.ai. “As employees return to the office, mobile enables consumers to practice meditation no matter their location.”

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How this platform is providing Ukrainian workers with mental health support

Sesh, a virtual therapy app, is partnering with its employer clients to deliver free sessions to workers in Ukraine, with a special focus on war and conflict. According to Sesh, 64% of its users tend to engage with the platform specifically to connect with others who share their cultural background — a vital tool for Ukrainian employees currently facing fear and isolation.

“We had received a lot of interest from employers about providing resources that are specifically supporting [their Ukrainian workers],” says Vittoria Bergeron, CEO and founder of Sesh, a virtual therapy session app available to workers as an employer-provided benefit. “Because there's really not many places that are therapist-led, safe community spaces where individuals of different backgrounds can come together, find connection, share insights and really lift each other up.”

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How this platform is providing Ukrainian workers with mental health support

Walmart offers training to help workers extend mental health support

Stateside, Walmart has launched a new program to help employees identify mental health distress in peers and colleagues, and is offering trainings to teach them how to best respond.

“Sometimes the best support is the support we get from our peers, coworkers and loved ones,” says Lisa Woods, vice president of physical and emotional wellbeing at Walmart. “We want to equip our associates to be able to support one another confidently and empathically.”

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Walmart offers training to help workers extend mental health support

‘Zillennials’ are setting new standards for their values and priorities. Here’s what employers need to know

The kind of proactive take on mental health we’re seeing from Walmart will be an increasingly vital perspective as the incoming cohort of “zillennials” — folks born between 1993 and 1998 — will continue to reshape the workplace, and demand everyday mental health support and benefits.

Contributor Missy Plohr-Memming, senior vice president of MetLife’s Group Benefits National Accounts Sales organization, explains: “In the last year alone, more than half of Zillennials have sought mental health help. To better support their employees, companies should offer mental wellness benefits and programs, especially considering that 62% of Zillennials cited mental health benefits, including employee assistance programs (EAP) and reimbursement for therapy sessions, when asked what would most improve their well-being.”

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‘Zillennials’ are setting new standards for their values and priorities. Here’s what employers need to know