Roughly one in ten (11 per cent) of all leaves of absence among U.S. workers in the first quarter of 2024 were due to mental health — a 22 per cent increase from this period last year, according to a new report by ComPsych Corp.
The report, which analyzed ComPsych’s absence book of business that includes more than six million U.S. workers, found female workers accounted for more than two-thirds (69 per cent) of all mental-health leaves of absence in 2023 and 71 per cent of all mental-health leaves in the first quarter of 2024 alone.
Read: Report finds women taking 69% of all mental-health leaves of absence
In a press release, Jennifer Birdsall, ComPsych’s clinical director, said there’s a growing mental-health crisis among female workers, noting working women — especially moms and other caregivers — often neglect their self care until 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.”
In total, more Americans took mental-health-related leaves of absence in the first quarter of the year than those for accidents, cancer, coronavirus infections, heart disease and heart attacks combined.
“We know that investing in employee mental health upfront pays dividends, with happier, healthier teams and reduced absenteeism,” said 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.”
Read: 2024 Mental Health Summit: The importance of mental-health training for people leaders