A significant amount of workers dealing with mental health issues have left a job—with younger workers leaving in higher numbers, according to Mind Share Partners' 2019 Mental Health at Work Report.

More than a third of the 1,500 U.S. workers polled say they left a previous role due partly to mental health reasons—and more than half of those respondents say that dealing with mental health issues was a primary reason and a majority of them (63 percent) have left voluntarily.

“In other words, one fifth of all respondents voluntarily left roles for mental health reasons—a significant finding for companies seeking to recruit and retain talent,” the authors write.

More than half of millennials and 75 percent of Gen Zers have left a job due partly to mental health reasons, while less than 10 percent of baby boomers have done so. Nearly half of black or African American (47 percent) and Hispanic or Latinx respondents (47 percent) have done so, compared to white (32 percent) and Pacific Islander (26 percent) respondents. Over half of tech respondents (55 percent) have left a job due, at least in part, to mental health reasons.

For all respondents, the most common resources they want at their workplace include mental health training (23 percent), clearer or more available information about where to go or who to ask for mental health support (22 percent), and a more open culture about mental health at work (22 percent).

C-level and executive director respondents list a number of obstacles their company faces in regard to supporting and providing resources for mental health at work: a lack of knowledge or understanding of workplace mental health (27 percent); a lack of professional expertise on the topic (25 percent); a lack of time commitment (23 percent); a lack of financial resources (23 percent) and leaders not wanting to talk about mental health (21 percent). A quarter (26 percent) see no obstacles to supporting mental health at work.

“These findings illustrate the isolating experience of managing mental health challenges at work,” the authors write. “Employees feel unequipped and unsupported at work and thus, don't get help. Our findings highlight the need for greater leadership support for mental health, company-wide awareness and training, and workplace policies and practices that are consistent with this message.”

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Instant Insights /

Employees quit when mental health issues aren't addressed

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