How youth mental health impacts your workforce
As an employer, the youth mental health crisis in America is likely affecting more of your workforce than you realize. Two out of every five workers have a child under the age of 18, which means many of your employees could be taking on emotional challenges that are affecting their well-being and productivity. This ultimately impacts you and your business.
The youth mental health crisis
The mental health of young people has continued to decline for the last decade. Fifty percent of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14 and 75 percent begin by age 24. Young people are facing significant struggles during their most formative years. These mental health challenges often permeate into the relationships they have with their caregivers. These caregivers— who are your employees — can struggle in navigating how to help.
Many working parents aren’t sure what resources are available to help improve their child’s mental health. Some parents fear they’ll face consequences if they need to take time away from work or adjust their schedule to help their child. According to a 2022 study, one in three parents are concerned about the impact of their child’s mental health on their work performance. Furthermore, 79 percent of concerned parents reported missing work at least once per month due to their child’s mental health struggles.
As an employer, you have resources available to help support your employees and their children who may be struggling with their mental health.
See how Wellmark is improving health across generations
From supporting youth mental health to empowering caregivers, Wellmark is committed to building healthier communities. Discover how our initiatives are creating healthier futures for families and workforces alike.
What you can do as an employer
There is no quick fix to the youth mental health crisis, but there are ways you can help your employees. Learn more about this topic and the resources Wellmark has available in our Health Matters podcast.
This episode on youth mental health features Wellmark experts Dr. Matt Stanley, D.O., DLFAPA, senior medical director of behavioral health, and Cammy Jenkins, RN, CCM, vice president of health services.
1.
Empower your workforce with information around early intervention and youth mental health.
“Sometimes the best thing, or the most empathic response, is listening and trying to understand rather than problem solve,” said Stanley. “Just communicating with your child or adolescent is one of the most important things you can do.”
2.
Remind your employees clearly and often about the covered mental and behavioral health care and resources available.
“One of the best resources is a primary care [provider] or pediatrician,” said Jenkins. “Building that relationship will help and we can partner in that.”
3.
Encourage leadership to be outspoken about your organization’s commitment to ending the stigma surrounding mental health.
“Just as important as it is for families to make it safe to talk about mental health [at home], it’s important in the workplace as well,” said Stanley. “It’s critical to have an empathic workplace for employees to know it’s safe and okay to have those conversations.”
The steps you take as an employer to address the youth mental health crisis not only affects the way your employees talk and feel about mental health at work, but also at home. It’s important your employees know they are supported by their employer and have resources available when they need them. Wellmark is also taking steps to address this crisis.
What the Wellmark Foundation is doing for youth across Iowa and South Dakota
The conditions in which we live, learn, work and play impact our health long before we ever see a doctor. That’s why the Wellmark Foundation is focusing on addressing the factors that prevent people from living long, healthy lives — like the youth mental health crisis. Here’s how the Wellmark Foundation is making an impact:
- The School-Centered Behavioral Health Grant. The Wellmark Foundation has made $5 million in grants available to eligible rural Iowa schools to provide timely and convenient access to youth mental and behavioral health services. These include in-school therapists, telehealth services and staffing of brain health support rooms.
- Iowa and South Dakota Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG). The Wellmark Foundation’s support of both the Iowa and South Dakota Jobs for America’s Graduates programs helps promote career development, especially in health care, and expand programming in communities with lower graduation rates and higher absenteeism. This funding and support aims to address health disparities and foster a healthier, more educated workforce.
But we can’t do it alone. While we can’t eliminate illness, we can work together to build better opportunities in Iowa and South Dakota. Through this work and collaboration, the Wellmark Foundation and our community partners can foster an environment that creates better health. Learn more about the Wellmark Foundation and our commitment to improving the health of all Iowans and South Dakotans.
Have questions? Contact your authorized Wellmark account representative or email us at blueatwork@wellmark.com.