Mental Health Leaves of Absence Continue to Proliferate Among U.S. Workers According to New ComPsych Data
01 Agosto 2024 - 8:31AM
Business Wire
Women Drive Ongoing Surge, Account for More
Than Seven in Ten Mental Health Leaves in Q1
ComPsych® Corporation, the world’s largest provider of mental
health and absence management services, today released new data
that shows mental health related leaves continue to skyrocket among
U.S. workers. A sample analysis of ComPsych’s absence book of
business, which covers more than six million people, found that in
the first quarter of 2024, more than one in ten (11%) of all leaves
of absence were due to mental health. This represents a 22%
increase in mental health leaves versus those taken in the first
quarter of 2023. This trend is being driven by female workers, who
accounted for 69% of all mental health leaves of absence in 2023,
and 71% of all mental health leaves in the first quarter of
2024.
“There is a growing mental health crisis among female workers,”
said Dr. Jennifer Birdsall, Clinical Director of ComPsych. “Working
women – especially moms and other caregivers – often neglect their
self-care until they hit the point of being so burnout they need to
take a leave of absence. The more organizations can support
resiliency-building, teaching self-care and prioritizing work life
balance before things escalate into significant symptoms with
functional impacts, the better. This is where the continuum of
care, which includes prevention, comes into play.”
“We know that investing in employee mental health upfront pays
dividends – with happier, healthier teams and reduced absenteeism,”
continued Dr. Birdsall. “Employers need to invest in mental
well-being strategies that span the continuum of care while arming
their teams with knowledge about the support that is available.
Trainings – for managers in particular – about how to discuss
mental health and how to identify team members who could benefit
from services is hugely important. This makes it possible for a
person to get the help they need earlier, potentially resolving the
challenge they’re facing before a leave of absence is
necessary.”
In total, more Americans took mental health related leaves of
absence in the first quarter of the year than those for accidents,
cancer, COVID-19, heart disease, and heart attack, combined.
Previous ComPsych data has shown that mental health related leaves
of absence have exploded since the pandemic, increasing 300% from
2017 to 2023, and 33% in 2023 alone.
For more information on ComPsych Corporation and its absence
management and FMLA administration services, please visit
www.compsych.com.
About ComPsych
ComPsych® Corporation is the world’s largest provider of mental
health services and GuidanceResources® for life. Fueled by a
commitment to relentless innovation and a comprehensive approach to
care, ComPsych provides services to more than 78,000 organizations
and 163 million individuals across 200 countries. Under our
GuidanceResources® brand, our personalized and fully integrated
programs include behavioral health, absence management, and
wellness journeys, which empower employees to lead healthier and
more productive lives, while driving organizational excellence.
Visit compsych.com to find out why 40% of the Fortune 500 choose
ComPsych for their mental health needs.
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Carolyn Linck clinck@compsych.com (312) 446-0339