Ginger,
the leader in on-demand behavioral health, today released the 2019
Workforce Attitudes Towards Behavioral Health Report. In preparation
for Mental Health Awareness month in May, Ginger set out to better
understand attitudes of U.S. workers with regards to their emotional and
mental health. This first-ever survey compiled data from 1,200 U.S.
full-time workers who have employer-provided health benefits. Ginger’s
data reveals that the majority of U.S. workers are highly stressed and
motivated to seek care; however, accessible, simple-to-use services are
not always available through employer programs.
“Through both our members and employer clients alike, we consistently
hear about the challenges of managing emotional and mental health in the
workplace,” said Russell Glass, CEO of Ginger. “The effects of stress on
worker productivity and a company’s bottom line are well documented. We
are taking this one step further by exploring how stress affects workers
emotionally, what tools they may be using to get care, and the
employer’s role in making that care more accessible and useful.”
Nearly half of workers have cried at work, and many more have missed
at least one day of work due to stress within the last year.
The survey asked workers to evaluate their stress levels within a
12-month span and found that:
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83 percent of workers experience stress at least once a week, with 16
percent reporting “extreme stress,” which is defined as experiencing
stress daily. Manual workers, Gen Z, lower-income earners, and those
from densely-populated areas reported the highest levels of extreme
stress. -
81 percent of workers acknowledged that stress impacts their work
negatively, manifesting in a range of symptoms from fatigue and
anxiety to physical ailments and missed work. -
48 percent of all workers reported crying at work due to stress. Of
note, women were more inclined to report crying at work due to stress;
however, 36 percent of men also acknowledged they have cried on the
job. -
50 percent of workers reported missing at least one day of work out of
a 12-month period due to stress; younger generations (Gen Z and
Millennials) are more likely to call out multiple times a year, in a
major blow to workplace productivity and at a significant cost to
companies.
Workers are motivated to get help, but employers are lagging in
delivering benefits that meet employee needs.
Survey respondents reported that their attitudes towards behavioral
health have changed within the last five years; 50 percent report that
they are now more likely to address their mental health by getting help.
However, two-thirds report they have yet to see an improvement in
accessible services from their employer.
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65 percent of workers reported having behavioral health coverage, but
81 percent report barriers to using services; including the limited
number of providers covered by their plans, lack of time to get help,
confusing program options and stigma. -
35 percent of workers reported paying for behavioral healthcare out of
pocket because employer benefits were inadequate. -
30 percent of workers started a behavioral health program that they
did not finish. Those in younger generations were the most likely to
drop out (45 percent of Gen Z, 43 percent of Millennials).
For those seeking care, cost and privacy were listed as top concerns.
For those who did take advantage of employer-provided behavioral health
benefits, ease of access was the number-one motivating factor.
Improved behavioral health services outrank other workplace benefits
for job seekers.
As work-induced stress continues to rise, workers overwhelmingly agree
that their behavioral and mental health should be their employers’
concern. Ninety-one percent of workers, across all demographics, believe
that their employers should care about their emotional and mental
health. According to the survey, available behavioral health options are
a key consideration for many workers when evaluating new job
opportunities.
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85 percent of workers noted that behavioral health benefits are a
consideration when evaluating a new job opportunity. For younger
generations (Millennials and Gen Z), the benefit is particularly
important. -
Behavioral health benefits even outranked other progressive “perks,”
including gym memberships, free meals or fun office environments,
demonstrating that behavioral health services are not just a
“good-to-have offering,” but a pivotal benefit that can attract new
talent to companies.
“While it’s encouraging to see that attitudes about behavioral health
are changing, it’s clear that there is significantly more work to be
done to make care more accessible when and where workers need it,” said
Glass. “With our on-demand behavioral health offering, we are helping
employers to do just that.”
For the full Workforce Attitudes Towards Behavioral Health Report from
Ginger, including a fact sheet, visit https://go.ginger.io/Annual-Behavioral-Health-Report-2019.
To learn more about Ginger, visit www.ginger.io.
About Ginger
Ginger, the leader in on-demand behavioral health, helps people get
better by providing on-demand coaching, teletherapy, telepsychiatry, and
guided self-care—right from a smartphone. As a virtual behavioral
healthcare system, Ginger utilizes proprietary AI and machine learning
to improve both access to and quality of care for anyone managing
symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, or more complex challenges.
Hundreds of thousands of people have access to Ginger through leading
employers such as BuzzFeed, Sephora, and Pinterest. The World Economic
Forum has identified Ginger’s AI technology as a Technology Pioneer, and
the company was recognized as one of the top 10 Most Innovative
Companies in Healthcare by Fast Company. Find out more about how
employees get instant access to complete care at ginger.io,
or connect with us on LinkedIn
and Twitter.
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