Mental health is a science – and there’s some fascinating data behind it. While most of us understand that mental health is crucial to productive, healthy company cultures, mental health statistics can prove empirically just how crucial it is.
It also offers practical metrics we can also use as HR leads. Just like a company needs to track its performance targets, tracking employee well-being can unlock a greater understanding around burnout, stress, turnover, and much more. Let’s get started!
Contents:
- Stress and burnout
- Sick days
- Employee engagement
- Attracting and retaining talent
- Leadership
- Company culture
- Mental health support
Mental health statistics about stress and burnout
Stress is prevalent: 83% of US workers suffer from daily work-related stress.
And it can quickly spiral out of control. 43% of employees report they are exhausted, and 78% say stress negatively impacts their work performance.
At its worst, stress leads to burnout, which is at an all-time high: 82% of employees are at risk of burnout.
And together, burnout and stress ensure you’re losing your best employees. Workplace stress leads to a 50% increase in turnover, while burnout is one of the top three reasons people leave their jobs.
Mental health statistics about sick days
Mental health is the same as physical health — when it’s bad, people aren’t able to work at their full potential. Unfortunately, mental health issues are also extremely common — and you might not even know, because 8 out of 10 employees hide mental health problems.
17 million annual sick days are due to work stress, depression or anxiety. Of course, that adds up for company expenses: most companies lose €2000 per employee per year for poor mental health.
Your company culture matters. 29% of workers will call in sick if they don’t feel like going to work in a toxic workplace.
Mental health statistics about employee engagement
But even if your employees are coming to work, if they’re struggling with their mental health, they’ll also underperform. “Presenteeism” is when someone comes to work even when they’re feeling terrible (mentally or physically). It’s one of the largest contributors to employers’ mental health-related costs – in the UK, it cost an estimated £24-28 billion in one year alone.
Disengaged employees produce 28% less revenue. Companies with low employee engagement scores experience 65% lower share prices over time and 18% lower productivity.
But on the positive side, when people have positive mental health, 63% say they are committed to their work and 80% are energized.
Mental health statistics about attracting and retaining talent
Unsurprisingly, the way your company supports employee mental health makes a big difference both to attracting the best new talent and keeping your existing employees.
50% of full-time employees have left a role for mental health reasons. The number is significantly higher for Millennials (68%) and Gen Zs (81%).
But if your company offers mental health support, the numbers tell a much happier story.
There is 60% less turnover with a mental health benefit. And offering employee mental health support makes a company more attractive to 85% of jobseekers.
Mental health statistics about leadership
We all know managers are important. But did you know that they also make a significant impact on your team’s mental health… not to mention, performance?
69% of people say the person who has the greatest impact on their mental health is their manager.
But sadly, only one in six employees feel supported by their managers’ mental health strategies, while another study found that 70% of workers would like their manager to do more to support mental health.
However, when managers show empathetic leadership and support their team’s mental health, the impact is massive. 61% of employees with highly empathetic senior leaders were reported to be innovative at work. 76% of employees with highly empathetic senior leaders were found to be often or always engaged at work. 74% of employees are more effective at their job when they feel heard.
And 93% of workers at a company that offers empathy training for its managers love their company culture, vs 56% of workers at companies that do not.
Mental health statistics about company culture
Executives and team members alike agree that company culture is all important. More than 50% of executives said corporate culture influences productivity, creativity, profitability, firm value and growth rates. Meanwhile, 56% of employees say company culture is more important than salary!
It’s unsurprising then, that companies with good corporate culture report 4x higher revenues. And on the flipside, there’s a 48.4% higher chance of job turnover where company culture is poor.
Mental health statistics about mental health support
The numbers you’ve already read prove how important mental health support at work is. Here’s one more: mental health benefits offer a 5x return on investment.
And if you’re wondering how to tell whether mental health support really works? Just take a look at nilo’s numbers.
96% of our users report “strong improvement” in their mental health.
82% of users with severe symptoms improve after using nilo.health.
71% of users struggling with stress improve after using nilo.health.
nilo.health sees 10x more engagement than traditional EAPs.
Ready to transform these numbers into your own happy employees? Let’s talk.
