Catering to Employee’s Mental Health Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic
Employee mental health has suffered as the stress caused by the coronavirus pandemic has affected worker’s personal and professional lives.
- By Nikki Johnson-Bolden
- Oct 28, 2020
As the pandemic progresses, its effect on employees’ mental health has worsened as the number of adults that report experiencing depression has tripled.
According to CNBC, the blurring of work and personal life that comes with working remotely has become an added stressor for employees. Historically, workers have been hesitant to utilize HR for mental health resources—68% of employees are concerned that doing so could affect their job security.
The Society for Human Resource Management reports that although 22 to 35% of employees report feeling depressed often, only 7% seek the help of mental health professionals.
Employers can help workers during this time by undergoing training that teaches them how to be more empathetic and understanding of their employees, says Forbes.
In the midst of this mental health crisis caused by the pandemic, Quest Diagnostics and Catapult Health are collaborating to provide access to virtual mental health services to employees. The partnership will focus on preventative care and mental health support specialized toward the coronavirus pandemic. Employees that participate will be screened for mental health concerns as well as personal and family health history.
More information on the Quest Diagnostics and Catapult Health services can be found at questdiagnostics.com.
About the Author
Nikki Johnson-Bolden is an Associate Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety.