Anxiety has skyrocketed in recent years, now becoming the leading mental health problem affecting workers, new data shows.
An analysis of more than 300,000 U.S. cases by mental health provider ComPsych found that nearly a quarter of people (24%) who contacted ComPsych for mental health assistance in 2023 did so for help with anxiety.
This makes anxiety the most common problem reported by American workers, ahead of depression, stress, marital or relationship problems, family problems, addiction and grief, among other topics people seek. help to cope. ComPsych said.
(SHRM Toolkit: Creating a work environment supportive of mental health)
Anxiety has increased significantly over the years, ComPsych said. In 2017, for example, anxiety was not among the top five problems faced by Americans.
Richard Chaifetz, founder, CEO and president of ComPsych, said the rise in anxiety is not particularly surprising given the string of stressful events in recent years.
“From the pandemic to ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, civil unrest, an unpredictable economy and increasingly polarized political rhetoric around the elections, there is a persistent underlying sense of apprehension and uncertainty. ‘concern,’ he said.
(SHRM search: Work has a negative impact on employees’ mental health)
This data is the latest indicator of the rise in mental health issues affecting employees and is a call to action for employers. Industry experts, including Chaifetz, say organizations would do well to take a hard look at their mental health benefits and resources, making sure they are robust and well-utilized by employees.
We’ve collected additional stories from SHRM online on the state of mental health at work.
Mental health-related absences increased by 33% in 2023
ComPsych’s new report on anxiety comes just weeks after the release of another analysis revealing that mental health-related leave is on the rise in the workplace, up 33% in 2023 compared to 2022 .
(SHRM resource: Mental Health)
Employee leave for mental health issues increased 300% between 2017 and 2023. Leave, ComPsych said, can range from a few days to a few weeks.
Female employees and younger workers, in particular, are driving this increase. In 2023, 69 percent of mental health-related leave was taken by women. Of these, a third (33%) were taken by millennial women, followed by Gen X women who accounted for 30% of mental health-related leave.
The state of “permacrisis” has an impact on the mental health of employees
Other reports point to an increase in mental health issues in the workplace. MetLife’s annual study of U.S. employee benefits trends, released in March, found that employees face more mental health issues and overall negative feelings toward their work, highlighting the “urgent need” for employers to take more aggressive steps to help them with their benefits offerings.
Employees are now more likely to experience negative feelings at work, including stress (12% more likely) and burnout (17% more likely) than before the pandemic (2019), according to MetLife. Employees are also 51% more likely to feel depressed at work than before the pandemic, as they face what the insurer calls a “complex macroeconomic environment and a state of permacrisis” — a state that has included the pandemic , persistent high inflation, international unrest and war, and more.
“Amid ongoing crisis, this year’s study highlights the urgent need for employers to recognize and take action on modern challenges affecting their workforce,” said Todd Katz, executive vice president and Group Benefits Manager at MetLife.
Benefits should be at the center of these measures, he said, because they play “a critical role in demonstrating care and ensuring employee well-being.”
Financial concerns and the persistent high cost of living – which other reports suggest pushes a significant number of employees to live paycheck to paycheck – are the main reasons for poor mental health among employees in 2024, cited by 45 percent.
Why mental health will be one of the most important topics of 2024
According to a recent Aflac report, well over half of employees (57%) experience at least moderate levels of burnout. At the same time, employees’ confidence that their employer cares about them has declined significantly: 48% said they are confident their employer will care about them in 2023, compared to 56% in 2022 and 59% in 2021.
And, said Aflac CHRO Jeri Hawthorne, with a presidential election approaching — and the polarization and heated conversations that come with it — coupled with financial worries, long work hours and other factors stress, burnout could be even more of a problem this year.
“Mental and emotional well-being will be a major topic, especially heading into an election year,” Hawthorne said. SHRM online earlier this year. “People tend to have much more polarized opinions. Maybe five or ten years ago, people could just disagree and have different views on certain topics, but today the situation has become much more polarized and sometimes even aggressive. Mental health – and areas aimed at reducing stress and improving emotional wellbeing – will be a major priority for next year.
