- The CDC reports that the annual direct and indirect costs of treating mental health disorders is $317.5 billion — even higher than the $310 billion OSHA attributes to the annual cost of workplace injuries.
- More workdays are lost or disrupted by mental illness than by chronic conditions such as arthritis, diabetes and heart disease. In fact, employers spend $70 billion each year on lost productivity and increased absenteeism due to untreated or ineffectively treated mental health disorders.
- Depression alone causes an estimated 200 million lost workdays each year and costs employers up to $44 billion annually. In just a three-month period, employees with depression miss an average of 4.8 workdays and 11.5 days of reduced productivity.
- The American Institute of Stress estimates that one million workers miss work each day because of stress, costing companies roughly $602 per employee per year.
- Teletherapy: Distance (video, telephonic and chat-based) counseling is appealing to individuals in rural areas, to those with mobility problems and to people who simply don’t have the time to visit a therapist in person.
- Computerized cognitive behavioral therapy (cCBT): cCBT, which increases accessibility to therapy through digital platforms, has been around for years, but is going through a technology-fueled renaissance as employers are looking for new ways to engage employees with mental health resources.
- Wellness: Some wellness programs are beginning to provide resources to address stress, anxiety or depression identified during a health assessment. In addition, wellness coaches are being trained to refer participants with comorbid mental health concerns to external programs.
- Self-help video libraries: Once considered too static, certain evidence-based courses are gaining in popularity as users are becoming more empowered to seek care on their own.
