Jackson shared her insights into the pandemic and collective mental health during a Disability Management Employer Association webinar on September 21. The current numbers are not what she or most employers expected this far into the pandemic.

"When we think of this pandemic as a consistent, constant attack of your functioning, your employees' functioning, your mental health, your coping strategies and your resilience, there continues to be wave after wave that we are enduring," she said. "When you look the past week, we have had more than 160,000 new cases reported in the United States.

"Right now across the nation, we are in a mental health crisis that is draining the available resources for severe to moderate situations. There are not enough therapists to go around. EAPs are reporting astronomical number of referrals and accessing of their services. What else can we do in this type of environment to support our workers?"

Maxime Guillaume, assistant vice president of digital offerings for Unum, agreed.

"We keep thinking we are on the other side, but things keep coming," he said. "The longer this goes, the more important it is going to be to think about doing things a little differently from a well-being strategy."

Simply put, worker stress is on the rise, and employers are eagerly seeking better solutions:

• Nearly eight in 10 employees say the pandemic is a significant source of stress.
• 67% say they have experienced increased stress over the course of the pandemic.
• Eight in 10 employers say COVID-19 will continue to have negative impacts on employee well-being over the next six months.
• Although 98% of employers report having mental health resources, less than 40% of employees indicate they are aware of them.
• 85% of employers are concerned or very concerned with employees' mental health or wellness needs as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
• 60% anticipate their use of existing mental health or wellness benefits will change in the coming months.

"Unpredictability and uncertainty often are seen as two significant contributors to deteriorating mental health," Jackson said. "All of these things together are barraging the mental health of the nation. What are we going to do about it?"

In broad terms, the solution involves a holistic approach.

"What we see as a big challenge is a fragmented approach rather than an all-encompassing approach," Guillaume said. "Yet employers need a holistic approach that encompasses the whole lifecycle of a behavioral health challenge. We are starting to think about mental health the same way we think about our physical health. None of us would argue that there are things that any one of us can do to maintain and improve our physical wellness. The same is true on the mental health side, where all of us can benefit."

Guillaume and Jackson summarized the key elements of a successful holistic approach to mental health:

• Be digital-first. COVID-19 has accelerated the push to virtual.
• Keep people in the process. A human touch is needed for one-on-one support and advocacy.
• Demand reporting capabilities. Solution providers must provide real-time data that answers such questions as what is my utilization, how many people are going through different support pathways and how many are completing them?
• Build feedback mechanisms. How can employees offer feedback? It's critical to listen, especially in a quickly evolving world
• Don't lose sight of the traditional aspects. These include mental health first-aid training, executive education and eliminating lunchtime meetings.
• Clear communication. Set expectations about everything from mask and vaccine mandates to on-site vs. off-site and hybrid regulations.

Although it is difficult to find anything positive about the pandemic, the mental health strategies enacted now will continue to pay dividends in the future.

"One of the silver linings that we might be able to take out of the pandemic will be some destigmatizing, some normalization of seeking mental health support," Guillaume said. "People are more actively seeking help. We hope this will be a lasting legacy and that employees will continue to be open about seeking help."

Read more: 

• Maintaining mental health as the Delta variant takes over
• 3 ways to support employee wellbeing and achieve mental balance
• Let's talk honestly about stress in the workplace