Breaking down barriers to mental health care in the workplace

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As mental health continues to be a top cost driver in the workplace, it’s important to do what you can to address common challenges your employees may face when they seek mental health care. Barriers to mental health care in the workplace, like cost, access and stigma, prevent employees from getting the support they need. Here are a few changes you can make in your workplace to help employees gain access to care.

Why addressing mental health barriers in the workplace matters

Mental health conditions and substance use disorders are costly. Not only can these conditions have life-altering effects, but effective treatment can also be expensive. As a result, you may be facing mounting pressure to provide whole-health benefits to address your employees’ mental and physical needs.

The link between mental health and chronic illness

People who are diagnosed with a chronic illness are more likely to have a behavioral health condition, and vice versa. This leads to an increased cost of care for those with chronic and/or mental illnesses. In fact, patients living with a chronic illness and mental health condition have 64 percent higher health costs compared to their counterparts who only have a chronic illness.

Common barriers employees face to accessing mental health care

Many employees across the United States are experiencing barriers to mental health care. For some, long wait times — 67 days (over 2 months) nationwide for a first visit with a psychiatrist — can deter them from getting the help they need. Additionally, the stigma around seeking care from a mental professional can delay or prevent mental health care. In fact, 42 percent of employees worry that their career would be negatively impacted by talking about their mental health.

Even if mental health care and resources are available, 45 percent of managers say they don’t know how to access mental health care through their employer-sponsored health plan.

What employers can do to improve access to mental health care

You are in a unique position to make a difference in the mental health of your employees. Research shows that when employees’ mental health needs are met, organizations experience better health outcomes and lower absenteeism rates, leading to healthier employees and lower medical costs for you. Here are some ideas that can start making a difference for those facing a lack of access to mental health care.

Normalize mental and behavioral health conversations in the workplace

Reduce mental health stigma by creating a workplace culture that normalizes talking about mental health and seeking treatment when needed. Start by educating leaders and managers about these common barriers to mental health care and the importance of speaking openly about mental health.

Create opportunities to discuss mental health with your workforce during new employee onboarding and benefits discussions and regularly remind them of the mental health resources at their disposal. Make sure employees know where they can locate benefit information and how they can use their benefits to access mental health care.

Implement solutions that help break down barriers to mental health care

Barriers like cost, provider shortages and time constraints are just a few reasons why employees don’t have access to the mental health care they need. Luckily, there are several ways you can remove some of these barriers and lessen their impact on your employees.

According to KFF, 44 percent of individuals go without mental health care each year because of cost concerns. Consider investing in your employees’ health by offering paid time off for mental health care when appropriate, limiting or eliminating office visit co-pays and offering no-cost screenings.

With the mental health professional shortage impacting 137 million Americans, you also might consider investing in virtual mental health care options. Virtual behavioral health care and virtual mental health care not only allow those in rural areas to seek the help they need but can also be a crucial tool for those who need care but aren’t comfortable seeing a provider in person. The more options and avenues for mental health care that are offered, the more people can seek mental health care where they are comfortable.

With Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield as your health plan, you’re not alone when it comes to breaking down mental health care barriers. Wellmark supports employers with tools, guidance and navigation strategies to help remove barriers and improve access to mental health care. This includes our behavioral health case management program. Our dedicated behavioral health case management nurses and social workers take a whole-person approach to mental health care so your employees can get the best care possible.

We’re here to help

There’s not a quick solution for removing the stigma of seeking mental health care or increasing access to mental health care. That’s why Wellmark is here to help identify where you can make the greatest impact in your workplace. We’ve put together a toolkit of mental health resources to make it easier to share solutions with your employees and encourage them to seek help if they need it.

You can also email us at blueatwork@wellmark.com. We’ll connect you with an authorized Wellmark representative to discuss mental health care solutions for your business.