Survey shows people leery of discussing their mental health at work

Arlington, VA — Although the vast majority of workers who were part of a recent survey say they’d be comfortable if a colleague discussed their mental health concerns, almost half believe sharing their own struggles would hurt their career.

The survey, commissioned by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, involved more than 2,300 full-time workers employed by organizations with at least 100 employees.

Although 77% of respondents said they’d feel comfortable if a co-worker was open about their mental health concerns, 42% worried “their career would be negatively impacted if they talked about mental health concerns in the workplace.”

The top five reasons, in order, why those workers say they don’t feel comfortable discussing their mental health at work:

• Stigma or judgment around mental health
• Lack of discussion from colleagues
• Not wanting to appear weak
• Fear of losing opportunities or retaliation
• Their job is a main factor affecting their mental health

“These results show a high demand for mental health education and resources, with mental health challenges emerging across the workforce,” NAMI CEO Daniel Gillison Jr. said in a press release. “But gaps persist – in knowledge, access and comfort – that need to be addressed, not just for the benefit of the employees, but for these organizations as a whole.”

To that end, the results also show that just half of the workers were aware of how to access mental health care through an employer-provided health insurance program. About 80% said it’d be helpful to receive information or training about:

• Employer health insurance benefits for mental health treatment
• Stress or burnout management
• Identifying and responding to a mental health crisis
• Mental health condition signs and symptoms

Only around 20% said they receive training about mental health conditions or symptoms.