New NAMI Poll Finds Employees Reluctant to Discuss Their Mental Health at Work
From nami.org
Arlington, VA – The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) today released its second annual poll measuring employees’ and managers’ sentiments about mental health at work. The Ipsos-conducted survey of full-time employees at companies with 100+ workers revealed that the workforce values workplace mental health resources and support from leadership, however, individuals often feel as if their needs are not currently being met.
“These results show a high demand for mental health education and resources, with mental health challenges emerging across the workforce. But gaps persist – in knowledge, access, and comfort – that need to be addressed, not just for the benefit of the employees, but for these organizations as a whole,” said NAMI CEO Daniel H. Gillison Jr.
“More than nine in ten respondents say mental health care benefits are important in creating a positive workplace culture, which is nearly on par with how employees value health insurance. With high rates of stress and burnout in the workplace, companies need to act as soon as possible to preserve the health of their employees and their business,” said Gillison.
Employees fear judgment for their mental health challenges
For those who say they feel uncomfortable discussing mental health at work, the top five reasons include stigma or judgment around mental health, lack of discussion from colleagues, not wanting to appear weak, fear of losing opportunities or retaliation, and their job’s effect on their mental health.
More than half of respondents feel comfortable discussing mental health with a close friend at work (81%) or their manager (57%), and just over half of the workforce (51%) believes their company’s C-suite leadership cares about them. However, only two in five (39%) respondents feel comfortable sharing with HR, and less than three in ten (28%) would share with senior leadership. This highlights the persistent stigma surrounding workplace mental health discussions.
Employees crave more from their employers
Only half of the workforce (53%) know how to access mental healthcare through their employer-sponsored health insurance, says the poll. Consistent with 2024 results, just over 20% of respondents receive training about mental health conditions or symptoms at work. In contrast, over 75% of respondents report that further information and/or trainings would benefit their mental health and/or ability to support others’ mental health at work, namely trainings about employer health insurance benefits for mental health treatment (84%), stress or burnout management (82%), identifying and responding to a mental health crisis (81%), mental health conditions, including signs or symptoms (80%), other employer resources to support mental health (79%), and communicating with coworkers (77%).
Employees say mental health education drives workplace culture
While a quarter of respondents (26%) shared that they do not know whether their employer offers mental healthcare benefits, an employee assistance program, flexible work arrangements, or sick days for mental health, over 80% of respondents report these benefits are or would be important to creating a positive workplace culture. For those who received training about mental health and/or resources available, more than half (57%) reported it helped them feel more comfortable talking about mental health with coworkers. That figure jumps to 65% for managers. Many employees and managers report the value of offering trainings and mental health care benefits, providing general mental health education and resources, and discussing mental health at work.
“It takes a commitment for companies to implement mental health education and establish mental health benefits,” said NAMI Chief Innovation Officer Darcy Gruttadaro. “By doing so, organizations will see the individual and organizational impact of increased productivity, connection, and satisfaction amongst employees who are connected to resources. Partnerships like NAMI StigmaFree Workplace Initiative are helping employers turn these challenges into opportunities for further growth and success.”
Learn more about NAMI StigmaFree and how to become a partner.
This NAMI/Ipsos poll was conducted January 21-27, 2025, by Ipsos using the probability-based KnowledgePanel®. This poll is based on a nationally representative probability sample of 2,376 general population adults, age 18 or older, who are employed full-time and work at a business or company with at least 100 employees. This sample includes 104 executives. The 104 executives in the sample include an oversample of N=31 executives. Learn more about the poll methodology here.
