During the pandemic, four in 10 adults reported symptoms of anxiety and depressive disorder. Mental health has improved since, but full-time employees are still at a 71% higher risk of depression compared to before the pandemic. If you’re concerned about your employees, here are the top mental wellness benefits to offer in 2023.
[Read more: 7 Health and Wellness Benefits You Can Offer Part-Time Employees]
Telemedicine
Telemedicine involves diagnosing and treating patients remotely using technology, and its usage has increased dramatically over the last few years. Roughly 95% of companies with more than 50 employees cover the cost of telemedicine services.
If you already offer telemedicine, you can expand the number of services covered or expand the number of available providers. You could also reduce or eliminate the cost-sharing of telemedicine, or allow employees to access telemedicine over the phone.
If you decide to offer or expand telemedicine services, make sure to promote this benefit to your employees so they can take advantage of it.
Therapy
Therapy involves working with a licensed therapist or psychologist who can listen and provide objective feedback. Therapy can help your employees improve their communication skills and give them strategies to manage problems.
But accessing traditional therapy is a challenge for many Americans — most states have less than 40% of the mental health professionals needed, and 51% of counties in the United States don’t have any practicing psychiatrists. Not to mention, therapy is expensive, and many people can’t afford to pay for weekly sessions.
One way employers can provide their employees with access to therapy is through a service like Talkspace. Talkspace is an online therapy platform that matches users with licensed therapists in their state. Hundreds of businesses have partnered with Talkspace to provide therapy to their employees.
Weekly meditation sessions could be another great benefit for everyone in the office, especially during seasons of high stress.
Employee assistance programs
An employee assistance program (EAP) helps employees resolve personal issues that are affecting their performance at work. EAPs can help with relationship challenges, financial struggles, or substance abuse. They may also include access to nurse advice lines or legal assistance.
An EAP is provided at no cost to employees through a third-party vendor as part of their health insurance plan. Companies like Uber, LexisNexis Risk Solutions Group, and DHG all offer an EAP to their employees.
[Read more: 6 Employee Assistance Programs Small Businesses Can Offer]
Mindfulness training
Another benefit you can offer employees is mindfulness training. This teaches employees meditation techniques so they can reduce stress and improve their focus and productivity.
You can offer in-person training or online classes that teach meditation techniques. From there, employees can meditate on their own or in a group. Weekly meditation sessions could be another great benefit for everyone in the office, especially during seasons of high stress.
Mental health apps
Mental health apps provide text-based therapy, allowing patients to chat with their therapist or have a video session for an additional cost. This service can be helpful for employees who may be hesitant to attend an in-person therapy session.
And mental health apps offer fast treatment, which is essential during a mental health crisis. Text-based therapy isn’t as comprehensive as in-person talk therapy, but it’s a cost-effective way to provide more mental health resources to your employees.
[Read more: Mental Health in the Workplace: Headspace Health, Talkspace and Noom Target Employee Support Programs to Drive Growth]
Dog-friendly workplace
If it’s feasible, you might consider making your office a dog-friendly workplace. Studies have shown that dogs help lower stress and can improve employee satisfaction. Dogs can also improve employee morale, and make the workplace a more enjoyable place to be.
It can also help encourage a healthier lifestyle since dogs will need to be taken outdoors regularly. And dog-friendly workplaces are more attractive to potential job candidates and can improve your employee retention rates.
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