: THE NEXT PANDEMIC: IS COVID-19 AT A MENTAL HEALTH TIPPING POINT?

If you were having a mental health breakdown, would you ever tell your boss? What can companies do to make sure employees feel comfortable asking for help? What are the red flags bosses need to watch out for?
Employee Wellness Specialist JENNIFER WATSON:

Before COVID (yes, there was a before), we faced a different kind of crisis in the U.S. One, that like COVID, was at times invisible, and also deeply impacted all aspects of our lives. It is our growing national mental health crisis. In 2018, it was reported that almost one in five, some 50 million adults were experiencing some form of mental illness. Yet, slightly less than half received treatment. Despite such startling numbers, companies had done relatively little to address it in a meaningful way. This left countless people feeling unable to discuss how they felt or share what they needed to be their best at work or at home For many, this was due to overwhelming feelings of stigma in the workplace along with the related concerns about how they might be viewed by supervisors and co-workers. Stigma comes at a high emotional and financial price. The World Health Organization estimated that the total cost of depression and anxiety to the world's economy was $1 trillion per year in lost productivity. To put that in perspective, it's more than the GDP of four of the top 20 economies in the world. Is COVID a mental health tipping point? With so many people so deeply affected, supporting employee mental health is now a business imperative. The internet is increasingly littered with articles on how companies and managers are addressing their employees' mental health needs. From video wellbeing check-ins to one-on-one counseling to meditation apps, companies have begun to quickly implement initiatives. As more people remain at home in fear of COVID-19, it's clear that the future of care is becoming increasingly digital. Even private insurers are stepping up, with most expanding their telehealth coverage, sometimes with no co-pay. This has been a windfall for digital behavioral health startups. Venture funding for this technology has reached unprecedented levels, with a record $588M raised during the first half of 2020 spurred by the pandemic. What can companies do? It's clear that things will never be the same...and, in some ways, that's a good thing. This shift has forced many companies to have difficult discussions about staff mental health and wellbeing that had previously been avoided. This new openness is helping employees feel more comfortable in acknowledging how they're feeling - making it okay not to feel "okay." This makes the role of managers more complicated and, more impactful than ever before. Yet, some may feel reticent to share their own feelings and/or be unable to manage what can easily become an emotionally charged discussion. And, at the same time, they may be suffering too. It is essential that companies ensure they have the training and support they need to, in turn, support their teams.