In 2023, U.S. employers have largely described mental health and emotional well-being as priorities for their benefits programs. In fact, mental health investment is one of a few reasons why industry analysts who previously spoke to HR expect benefits to be one of the few areas that may not see cost cuts during an economic downturn.
As Lyra Health’s survey shows, however, there may be several obstacles to effective treatment of mental health issues in an employee population. For example, a stigma around the topic persists despite increased societal recognition; 70% of workers in a 2022 Unum survey said employers could do more to address mental health stigma year-round.