Voya’s State of Employee Benefits 2026 research shows that mental health sits right at the center of employee well-being. Employers rate mental health support among the highest impact benefits they can offer, and employees increasingly see mental and emotional well-being as fundamental to how they show up at work and engage with their benefits.
The need is widespread. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year. And mental well-being disrupted by stress, anxiety or emotional strain can heavily influence broader healthcare engagement. When needs go unmet, employees are more likely to delay care, tune out benefits or struggle to manage health events effectively.
