Study Reveals Many Workers Struggling with Mental Health Conditions
Research published by Emvitals, in partnership with Johns Hopkins Medicine and Quest Diagnostics, shows 71% of participants at risk, 80% of which had no history of treatment.
CLEVELAND, March 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Emvitals, a mental health technology company, recently published research in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine providing new insights into employee mental health and support. The study, conducted between 2019 and 2020 in partnership with Johns Hopkins Medicine, BHS and Quest Diagnostics, revealed a high percentage of employees in need of mental health support.
"Untreated and under-treated mental health is a massive health issue," said Jennifer Hunter, CEO of Emvitals. "60% of people in need of mental healthcare simply never seek care and those that do can wait a decade to do so. Mental healthcare must transform from reactive and fragmented care to proactive and integrated care."
The study found more than 70% of participants were identified as being at risk for common, highly treatable mental health conditions, based on the Emvitals questionnaire. The Emvitals assessment tool measures, reports and tracks emotional health indicators including risk for depression, anxiety and chronic stress.
The research went on to gauge the influence social determinants and life events have on the likelihood research participants would connect with recommended care. The study points to a need for emotional health screening and easy access to support resources for the workforce. Here are some highlights from the study:
- Risk was proactively identified through online screening of 344 participants.
- At-risk participants were offered a mental health care concierge to provide support, develop a care plan and connect to care.
- Risk for common mental health conditions was identified in 244 (71%) participants, of whom 66 (27%) connected with a care concierge.
- 80% of at-risk employees had no history or mental health treatment.
- 89% of at-risk employees who engaged in care navigation services were successfully connected to care.
- Individuals who completed a consultation were more likely to report a financial crisis in the previous six months and less likely to report tobacco use, verbal abuse and difficulty meeting daily needs (e.g., food, shelter) than those that did not engage in care concierge services.
- Individuals who completed a consultation tended to be caregivers, have risk for depression, traumatic stress and low social support (difficulty getting practical help from friends or neighbors). Such findings may highlight the attitudes, structural motivators and barriers related to seeking support.
The study confirms the benefits of employer sponsored mental and emotional health screening and support, specifically the effectiveness of taking 'emotional vitals' to identify risk based on commonly known causes of mental health conditions. Identification and early support services can lead to better clinical outcomes, reduced absenteeism and increased productivity.
"One employee suffering with untreated depression costs an employer $12,000 per year and the majority of employees with depression are untreated or receiving inadequate care," said Hunter.
Note on COVID-19: This research was conducted prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 and is not inclusive of data directly related to the employee emotional health implications of the pandemic.
About Emvitals
Emvitals partners with employers to create emotionally vital workplaces through the power of culture, proactive outreach, and connection to personalized, high-quality care and support. Emvitals offers employers a clinically proven, low-cost, approach to measuring and strengthening the emotional health of their entire workforce.
Learn more at emvitals.com.
SOURCE Emvitals
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