APA Survey Highlights Mental Health Concerns in the Workplace
Board-certified Psychiatrist Wayne Macfadden, MD, has been working in the mental health sector for over three decades. A graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine, he was the first full-time Psychiatrist hired by North Dakota’s Spirit Lake Reservation. Active in the professional community, Wayne Macfadden MD, is a former member of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and a current Fellow in the Philadelphia College of Physicians. The APA promotes the highest quality care for people with mental illness and advances the profession of Psychiatry.
On a regular basis, the APA conducts different surveys to gauge mental health concerns and goals in the United States. In May 2021, this included a national public opinion poll regarding workplace mental health that the organization shared with the following statistics.
According to the poll, 54 percent of employees said their employer was more accommodating of their mental health during the pandemic. Further, 28 percent of employees who had mental health issues reported that their employer was more supportive of their unique challenges during the pandemic. Unfortunately, this didn’t translate to much permanent change.
Only 56 percent of employees said they felt comfortable talking openly about mental health with their coworkers. Compared to last year, this was a drop of 9 percent. Also, only one in five employers offered additional mental health services during the pandemic, a drop of 35 percent, and 33 percent of employees with a mental health condition said their employers were just as accommodating of their needs during the pandemic as before the pandemic.
Mental health coverage also took a hit following the pandemic. Only 28 percent of employees reported that their employer offered mental health benefits. This was a decrease from 34 percent before the pandemic started. Also, at least four in 10 employees fear retaliation from their employer if they take time off for mental health reasons.
