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Workforce mental health: A leader’s guide

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Leading Off

Brought to you by Liz Hilton Segel, chief client officer and managing partner, global industry practices, & Homayoun Hatami, managing partner, global client capabilities
An image linking to the web page “Getting to the bottom of the teen mental health crisis” on McKinsey.com.

Employers have a big role to play in improving the mental health of tomorrow’s workforce—and currently, that workforce may be in crisis. In a global survey of more than 40,000 respondents, “Gen Z reported a perceived mental health that was much poorer than any other generation,” says McKinsey partner Erica Coe. Overuse of social media, educational interruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, global unrest, and climate anxiety are among the many factors fueling higher rates of anxiety, depression, and distress in Gen Z than in any other age group. “Worldwide, at least 200 million children and teenagers struggle with a mental health disorder,” notes Harold Koplewicz, founding president and medical director of the Child Mind Institute. Imperatives for employers include early intervention, promoting mental health literacy among youth, and investing in mental health support in the workplace.

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That’s from a report by the American Heart Association’s CEO Roundtable, a group of business leaders who promote an organizational culture of health. One reason for the high cost of depression may be employees’ fear of talking about mental health conditions in the workplace because of the associated stigma. Our research shows that many employees with a behavioral-health condition avoid treatment because they don’t want people finding out about their mental illness or substance use disorder. “Taking the right kind of actions can shift the dialogue from stigma to support,” suggest McKinsey experts. “For starters, employers can change the misperception that a behavioral-health condition is a moral failing. These conditions are treatable diseases like other medical conditions.”
An image linking to the web page “Leading with compassion: Prioritizing workplace mental health” on McKinsey.com.

“If we’re not taking care of people, then what are we doing?” asks Poppy Jaman, CEO of the global nonprofit group MindForward Alliance, in a discussion with McKinsey. Jaman believes that workplace mental health should be considered a business goal: “We are introducing well-being capital as a business framework,” she says. “When you create an environment of psychological safety and well-being, you create well-being capital, which boosts performance in healthy ways and enhances your bottom line.” Ways for organizations to develop well-being capital include leading with compassion, redesigning jobs to reduce stress, and investing in mental health awareness campaigns. It’s also important for leaders to address “languishing,” notes Jaman. This occurs when people may not feel depressed enough to quit but “lack drive and are just muddling through each day,” she says. “They don’t have ill health, but they also aren’t well.”
An image linking to the web page “The role of social media and tech in Gen Z’s mental health” on McKinsey.com.

Lead by supporting mental health.

— Edited by Rama Ramaswami, senior editor, New York

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by "McKinsey Leading Off" <publishing@email.mckinsey.com> - 02:41 - 18 Sep 2023