Employee mental health is improving but benefits are still needed

Employees are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the new year, employee stress and anxiety have decreased from the record lows seen in December, according to the Mental Health Index by Total Brain and the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions. Employees reported a 30% decline in depression and a 25% decrease in instances of PTSD from December’s levels.

Stress also decreased by 16% in January, matching pre-pandemic levels for the first time, the index found. These improvements point to increased optimism around an end to the COVID pandemic and the benefits of time off during the holiday season.

Read more: Pandemic PTO: Why ‘staycations’ are vital to employee mental health

“The cumulative impact of the COVID environment has been unprecedented on employees and their families,” Michael Thompson, CEO of the National Alliance, said in a statement. “The holiday break appears to have played a major role in helping employees to reset and recharge.”

However, employees are still struggling with their mental health at much higher levels than before the pandemic. Risk of depression is 71% higher than before the pandemic and attention span is 27% worse, the index found.

Without proper intervention, employees are at risk of burning out and leaving the workforce entirely. More than half of employees say they are struggling with burnout during the pandemic, and those employees are four times more likely to leave their organizations than those not feeling burned out, according to Eagle Hill Consulting.

As employees struggle with work-life balance and the challenges of isolation, employers must continue to address poor mental health with benefits and leadership support.

“The trauma of the last year will have long-lasting effects on the mental health of not only employees but their families,” Garen Staglin, chairman of One Mind at Work, said in a statement. “Employers must remain focused on incorporating innovative mental health programs with visible leadership involvement to support the well-being of their workforce.”

Employers have continuously launched new benefits to help address stress, burnout and other mental health issues throughout the pandemic. Hewlett Packard, Starbucks and other organizations have expanded their benefits to include free therapy, meditation and wellness apps, and even access to a virtual vegetable garden.

Read more: Time for a workforce mental health checkup

Providing workplace flexibility, clear and consistent communication and easy accessibility to well-being benefits can help employees weather the challenges of the pandemic and bring their best selves to work, says Joe Grasso, clinical director of partnerships at Lyra Health.

“The hold that the pandemic has on people’s lives can’t be separated from how people show up at work,” he says. “Ultimately, people bring their entire selves to work, so whatever is happening is going to manifest in the workplace. Employers need to make sure their benefits are addressing the entire spectrum.”