- Key Insight: Discover how mental-health stigma and benefits confusion are driving prolonged workforce disengagement.
- What's at Stake: Rising productivity losses and talent attrition could materially affect employer financials and competitiveness.
- Supporting Data: Over $1 trillion in lost wages from 2021–2025 tied to mental-health and substance issues.
- Source: Bullets generated by AI with editorial review
U.S. employees lost more than $1 trillion over five years due to mental health and substance use issues, according to a new nationwide survey.
The study by Renaissance Recovery highlights the devastating impact that
The study — which took place from 2021 to 2025 — focused on how time off work, reduced hours, or disrupted employment translated into lost income for people dealing with these conditions. Forty-one percent of respondents to the survey said
"This really drives home the fact that something we've suspected for a long time is true — stigma and access problems keep people from getting help," says Sam Blackmar, healthcare counsel for Renaissance Recovery.
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The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) guarantees eligible workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for serious health conditions, including mental health and substance use treatment. But according to the study, fewer than half of workers (46%) know that federal law allows eligible employees to take job-protected leave for those reasons.
Just 38% of respondents said they were very familiar with FMLA, while 27% had heard of it but didn't know the details. Another 16% said they had never heard of it.
Understanding what benefits are available to access income support — such as short-term disability or state-paid family and medical leave programs — may help workers make more
"What this data shows is that many workers aren't just struggling with their mental health — they're struggling with uncertainty, fear and misinformation," Alina Nejadian, clinical director at Renaissance Recovery, said in a news release. "When people don't understand their rights or don't trust that they will be protected, they delay care, hide their struggles and often make their situation worse. Clear communication, supportive workplace cultures and better awareness of existing protections could make a meaningful difference for millions of employees."
Honesty remains elusive
The most common reason that people continued working during a mental health or substance use struggle was fear of job loss (22%), followed by not knowing leave was an option (18%). Fifteen percent were unable to afford unpaid time off, while 11% worried about harming their future career and 14% felt their condition wasn't serious enough to justify leave.
More than 56% of respondents admitted they had lied or downplayed the real reason they needed time off, while 43% said a physical illness would feel like the safest excuse to give if they needed
Many employees said continuing to work through mental health challenges came at a steep cost: 31% reported increased anxiety or stress, and 27% experienced exhaustion or burnout. Nearly 61% of respondents said continuing to work instead of taking leave made their condition worse.
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Forty-two percent reported long-term career consequences, including slowed career growth, turning down opportunities or leaving a job altogether.
On average, respondents estimated they lost $10,457 in income over five years due to delayed treatment or ongoing struggles, but that figure varied widely by state. Workers in Massachusetts experienced the greatest income disruption ($14,050), while those in Mississippi suffered the smallest ($7,698).
Company leadership needs to understand the adverse effects of untreated mental health and
"Like everything, it starts from the top down," says Blackmar. "A big thing is coming up with messaging about the importance of not just physical health, but also mental health."
