Not All Mental Health Benefits Are Created Equal: The Case for Evidence-based Care

Mental health care has undoubtedly become one of the trendiest subjects in your workplace, regardless of your business. While mental illness was already a growing global problem before COVID-19, the pandemic has heightened those worries, bringing mental health to the forefront of many workplace discussions.

Employers who care about their employees are eager to spend more on mental health choices because they understand that by addressing their employees' mental health needs, they will be supporting individuals and the entire workforce.

The Mental Health Crisis Is at a Tipping Point

The pandemic has resulted in mental health issues, including anxiety, sadness, and substance use problems. Burnout, in particular, has reached new heights. Burnout was indicated by 52 percent of workers in a recent Indeed survey.

Depression alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), interferes with a person's ability to do physical job activities 20% of the time and decreases cognitive performance 35% of the time.

With increased awareness comes an increased willingness to take action. Employers are increasingly expected to help their employees' mental health:

• According to a new Lyra Health survey, 84 percent of employees believe that having mental health benefits is at least somewhat crucial while looking for new employment.
• According to a Mind Share Partners poll, 86 percent of employees believe that their company's culture should support mental health.

Dependents’ Mental Health Is Critical to Workforce Well-being

More well-known companies are now offering mental health benefits to employees and their dependents, including children. Given the significant influence family health concerns can have on job performance and the increasing number of children diagnosed with mental health conditions, this is a natural move.

The latest December 2021 health recommendation from the US surgeon general details the dramatic increase in mental health concerns observed among children and adolescents. Parents' and children's mental health are intertwined; therefore, barriers to care, such as long wait lists, a shortage of providers, or high fees, can cause stress for parents. Providing dependents with mental health benefits can significantly influence working parents.

What Is Evidence-based Therapy?

The need for resources with a track record of favorable outcomes is highlighted by employers' worries about the efficacy of the treatment accessible to their workforces.

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): A therapy technique that improves mental health and functioning by leveraging the link between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
• Interpersonal Therapy (IPT): A concentrated, time-limited treatment for mood disorders. IPT's primary goal is to strengthen a client's interpersonal relationships and social functioning to make them feel less distressed.
• Behavioral Activation: A mental-health strategy that emphasizes the use of activities to "activate" good feelings.

These therapy procedures have been proved to produce consistent results in randomized controlled trials and case studies, akin to problems for a type of surgery, medical device, or drug.

In the end, empirically validated treatments have the best chance of helping the vast majority of individuals with behavioral health problems.

Better Care Outcomes and More Resilient Employees

Building resilience, which has been found to help employees manage stress, be more active in self-care, avoid burnout, and create a better work-life balance, is essential in addressing mental health difficulties.

According to a recent study, employees who utilized Lyra as an evidence-based mental health benefit were twice as likely to stay with their business for over a year as employees who did not use the help. Employees may feel more psychologically secure if they access an evidence-based mental health benefit.