One of the ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a brighter spotlight on the necessity of mental health support in the workplace, which has shifted, according to Laura Magnuson of Talkspace, "from a nice-to-have to a must-have benefit."  That observation is borne out by the results of Talkspace's recent Employee Stress Check 2022 Report, which found that 57% of full-time employees polled would stay at their workplace if it offered more mental health services. That number grew to 66% when asked of employees who were considering quitting their jobs. In the wake of mental health support transforming from a want to a need, medication access company NiceRx took a look at the general state of mental health in the post-pandemic U.S. To compile the report, NiceRx used World Atlas's report on states who spend the most on mental health funding, Simple Practice's guide to average therapy session rates, and MHA National's adult prevalence of mental illness. According to the research, Idaho has the lowest budget allocated for mental health, with $32.77 spending per capita. Texas follows at $40.65 per capita, and Arkansas is third from bottom at $45.56. Among other findings from the report: • The top three states with the highest percentages of adults with mental health illness are Utah (26.86%), West Virginia (24.62%), and Oregon (23.75%). "Experts have reported that West Virginia's poor mental health stems from high rates of poverty and substance use, along with a deep rooted culture of independence that condemns psychological help," the study says. • Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio are paying the least median rates for therapy in the nation, at or below $90. At $70, Floridians are paying the least. • Florida also tops the list of states searching the most for therapists. The research found the state saw 43,000 yearly Google searches for "therapists." Florida reportedly has more than 37,000 therapists. See our slideshow above for the states spending the most on mental health funding, and click here for the full report. Related:

• How benefits professionals approach mental health
• Mental health care must become standard operating procedure in employee benefits
• When it comes to supporting employees' mental health, words matter, but actions matter more