The National Alliance for Mental Illness, or NAMI, says now is the time to prioritize mental health in the workplace by starting a conversation with your team. NAMI has created a “StigmaFree” Workplace initiative to normalize mental health discussions at work. The goal is to help organizations “increase mental health awareness and education, create a culture of caring, and increase access to support.”
And it’s not just because it’s the right thing to do, but good for your business, too! Their research shows that “every $1 invested in mental health yields a $4 return.”
NAMI’s annual workplace survey of companies with at least 100 employees shared many more eye-opening statistics:
- 74% of full-time employees in the U.S. say it is appropriate to discuss mental health concerns at work but only 58% say they feel comfortable doing so
- Burnout is a problem, especially among women, young workers, and mid-level employees
- 9 in 10 employees say employer-sponsored mental healthcare coverage is important for creating a positive workplace culture
- 1 in 4 employees say they don’t know if their employer offers mental health coverage – showing the need for more communication from employers
For more data points from NAMI’s stigma-free annual workforce survey or to get involved in creating a stigma-free worklace, go to https://stigmafree.nami.org/annual-survey/.
If you or someone you know needs help, the NAMI Help Line is a free, nationwide peer-support service providing information, resource referrals, and support to people living with a mental health condition, their family members and caregivers, mental health providers, and the public. Call, chat, or text 988 to speak with a trained crisis counselor 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
