The August "Mental Health Index: U.S. Worker Edition" shows U.S. workers are on their sixth consecutive month of increased rates of mental health issues, including stress and anxiety, since the pandemic began.
The chronic state of stress and anxiety is negatively impacting employees’ cognitive performance. The latest Index, released yesterday, shows that sustained attention, which drives task completion, is down 31% in August, and planning capability is down 15% compared to pre-pandemic rates in February. Millennials are the most emotionally vulnerable group with a 39% decline in sustained attention and a 30% decline in planning.
Our American Health Policy Institute and the Association are actively engaged in the distribution of the Index in partnership with the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions and One Mind at Work.
More mental health assessment and evaluation needed to effectively support employees: A recent survey of HR Policy members shows that while employee mental health is important to our member companies, only 41% reported having measures in place to evaluate the mental health wellness of their employees. AHPI has partnered with Total Brain to offer free three months' access to their platform so employers can baseline and benchmark the mental health risk of employees. If you are interested in learning more about participating, please contact Colleen McHugh at cmchugh@healthcarert.com.