Why do employees feel like mental health support has been disappearing through Covid-19?

Why do employees feel like mental health support has been disappearing through Covid-19?

FutureLearn research found that the great majority of employers didn’t offer any mental health support in the workplace (68%). Since the start of the Covid-19 crisis this figure has increased — but only to 58%. One in five of the 1,000 UK businesses surveyed said they were looking to re-evaluate their mental health policies.

Meanwhile, a study from Mercer Marsh Benefits among 332 UK HR and reward professionals and 162 staff has suggested that only around half of employees felt they received the support they needed during the pandemic. This is despite spending on benefits having increased considerably over the past two years. 78% didn’t think benefits had changed while in reality most had introduced new wellbeing offerings.

Second and third waves

Ongoing awareness of practical, everyday mental health support is becoming more rather than less important because of the dangers of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The NHS expects there to be 230,000 new cases of PTSD as a result of the pandemic.

“It is vital that anyone exposed to traumatic events is properly supported at work and home. Early and effective support can reduce the likelihood of PTSD,” says Professor Neil Green Greenberg, Royal College of Psychiatrists.

“Students of previous pandemics will also know that the mental health burden often lags several years behind infectious disease because getting back to normal is challenging for many people. This is the second, silent pandemic.”

Needing more

“Perceptions of mental health support at work have changed,” said EAPA UK chair [https://www.eapa.org.uk/] Eugene Farrell. “What might have looked and felt like a solid example of services, signposting to advice resources and digital content, has become a disappointment.

“People are expecting more. Especially in a context where they’re being told their employer is investing more than ever into health and wellbeing, and in many cases the fall-out from the pandemic is only just starting to have a real impact. So that means making sure that the full range of EAP services are in place, and that communications and awareness of what that means, how services can and should be used, are everywhere and a priority through all channels.”

Why do employees feel like mental health support has been disappearing through Covid-19? EAPA UK