Initiatives that employers are using to address mental health include encouraging open discussion and building a judgment-free culture, and partnering with an outside vendor to provide support. (Photo: Shutterstock)

The nation is experiencing a mental health crisis, including dealing with rising deaths from opioid abuse and suicide. Yet, not enough employers are taking steps to prevent more of these kinds of deaths within their workforce, according to Willis Towers Watson's 2019 Emerging Trends in Health Care Survey.

Indeed, just 22 percent of employers currently have or plan to implement programs to address opioid use and suicide prevention in 2019, according to the survey of more than 500 U.S. employers. Encouragingly, an additional 23 percent are considering initiatives to prevent opioid abuse in 2020 or 2021, and 15 percent are considering programs to prevent suicide over the same time frame.

Related: HR departments struggle to respond to opioid epidemic

Some things that employers can do to lower these risks include partnering with outside vendors, offering education programs or sponsoring worksite campaigns.

“The nation's workforces are not immune from the critical mental and behavioral health issues sadly affecting millions of Americans, yet many employers are slow to put programs into place,” says Jeff Levin-Scherz, M.D., Health Management practice co-leader at Willis Towers Watson. “Employers have a significant opportunity to do more to address the stigma tied to mental illness and help employees get the care they need–avoiding devastating consequences.”

Fewer than half of employers (46 percent) responding to the survey have taken any action around mental and behavioral health for 2019, though 70 percent of employers are currently taking or plan to take action by 2021 on broader behavioral health and well-being issues.

Some of the initiatives that employers are doing or plan to do include reducing the taboo associated with mental illness by encouraging open discussion and building a judgment-free culture, and partnering with an outside vendor to provide support relating to mental health services and resources.

“The fact that employers are starting to address mental or behavioral health is encouraging — however, the lack of specific action on drug use and suicide is alarming,” says Mandie Conforti, L.C.S.W., senior consultant at Willis Towers Watson.

“It would be dangerous for employers to simply 'check the box' on improved employee assistance programs and unintentionally lull themselves into a false sense of security that addiction and suicide won't impact their workforce,” Conforti says. “These are real and difficult issues that require close attention and monitoring.”

Employer costs also rise when their workers suffer mental and behavioral health issues, as those afflicted with anxiety, depression and substance abuse typically experience tend two to four times more medical claims and six times more emergency room visits, according to a Willis Towers Watson analysis.

“If care for the welfare, productivity and retention of employees isn't sufficient motivation for employers to act fast to bring adequate access to behavioral health care services, the financial strain of stress, anxiety, depression, suicide and substance abuse on their bottom line simply cannot be ignored,” Conforti says.

Additional strategies that employers can implement include:

• Provide robust behavioral health coverage with significantly improved access to networks and high-quality providers.
• Consider telemedicine and onsite or near-site behavioral health care delivery options.
• Offer comprehensive EAP services for members.
• Foster an open environment where people can talk about mental health and suicide prevention without stigma. Consider launching a suicide awareness and prevention campaign now or during National Suicide Prevention Week in September.
• Provide targeted manager training, including annual EAP and mental health first-aid courses.
• Incorporate behavioral health into diversity and inclusion initiatives.
• Educate employees about the risks of opioid use and how to responsibly dispose of unused drugs to protect loved ones.
• Reimagine benefit programs to account for “holistic, integrated well-being,” as financial,
• emotional, social and physical health are “inextricably connected and correlated.”

Read more: 

• Employer-sponsored benefits and the fight to improve mental health
• The role of the workplace in suicide prevention
• Recognizing employee barriers to mental health services