How Mental Health Affects Employee Wellness
How Mental Health Affects Employee Wellness
The last few years have been incredibly taxing for employers and employees. It’s now more important than ever to ensure that everyone has access to mental health care. Mental health can have a significant impact on employee wellness.
Poor Mental Health Can Cause Poor Physical Health
Studies have shown that mental health and physical health have substantial effects on each other. Long-term anxiety and depression cause several issues in the body, including:
Negatively affecting the central nervous system, leading to frequent headaches and dizziness, insomnia, and potentially weight gain
Cardiovascular issues such as tachycardia, chest pain, and an increased risk of high blood pressure
Digestion issues, including stomach aches and nausea.
A weakened immune system, leaving us vulnerable to infection and illness
Respiratory problems, which can complicate asthma and COPD
Increased risk of substance use disorders
Chronic pain, especially back pain
While anxiety can cause depression, depression can also come from abnormally functioning neurotransmitters in the brain. Some neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, lower the body’s pain threshold, leading to chronic pain. Additionally, those already suffering from chronic pain are at a higher risk for depression.
Mentally Healthy Employees Are Better Employees
Chronic depression and anxiety take a massive toll on the body. Employees dealing with these issues may frequently be tired or ill and struggle to focus. This causes many issues, such as:
Employee absences due to illness, medical conditions, or pain
Underperformance; employees with depression report that they’re only able to work at about 70% productivity
Stress on the rest of the department as others try to make up for missing employees or mistakes made
When employees get proper help for their anxiety and depression, they can improve. One study showed that 86% of employees treated for depression improved their work performance. Another study showed that treating depression reduced absences by 40-60%.
Employees who receive proper mental health care are also likely to stay with the company longer. Mentally healthy employees are happier, leading to greater satisfaction. Additionally, when an employer provides mental health services and coverage to their employees, the employees are more likely to feel like their employer cares about their well-being.
No one wants to suffer from anxiety and depression. Unfortunately, often things stand in the way of proper treatment, such as a lack of access to mental health coverage and the stigma surrounding mental health issues. By offering employees mental health coverage, you’re normalizing the conversation around mental health while allowing them to reach their full potential at work and in their personal lives.
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