RADNOR, PA — Lincoln Financial (NYSE: LNC) and the Integrated Benefits Institute found that workplace mental health resources remain underused even when employees have access to them, pointing to gaps in awareness, time and trust that can limit the effectiveness of employer benefit spending.
The research, published in the whitepaper Putting Mental Well-Being Data to Work: Practical Employer Strategies, combines national industry data with a survey focused on call center workplaces. It examines how workplace, demographic and socioeconomic factors affect mental health and employees’ willingness or ability to seek support.
Among call center employees surveyed, more than 75% reported having access to mental health benefits, but fewer than half had used them. Of those not using the resources, 59% reported not needing them, 26% cited a lack of time and 15% cited stigma.
The findings suggest that providing benefits alone may not translate into utilization. Only 44% of respondents considered their employers’ existing benefits outreach effective, while 32% indicated that communications needed improvement.
The research also identified differences across demographic groups. Seventy percent of women rated their mental health as good or excellent, compared with 83% of men, while 34% of women reported being comfortable discussing mental health at work, compared with 47% of men.
Younger workers reported another divergence. Among employees ages 18 to 29, 77% reported using mental health days, the highest rate among the age groups examined, while 34% reported supervisor support, the lowest level.
Across employees more broadly, 28% reported feeling uncomfortable or uncertain about discussing mental health with their supervisors, according to the report. The findings indicate that a positive manager relationship does not necessarily make employees comfortable disclosing personal mental health concerns.
The results underscore an operational challenge for employers that invest in mental health benefits: utilization can depend on employees knowing what resources exist and feeling comfortable accessing them.
“Even as employers make meaningful investments in benefits, gaps in awareness, access and comfort using those resources remain,” Joanne Rosa, vice president of National Accounts and Consulting Practice at Lincoln Financial, said.
Rosa said employers can address those gaps by making support “more visible, more personalized and easier for employees to use.”
Lincoln Financial and IBI have conducted employee-benefits research together for more than a decade. The latest report recommends that employers provide different forms of support for varying workforce needs, improve communication about available resources and encourage managers to regularly discuss well-being and available assistance.
Lincoln Financial provides workplace services including employee benefits, retirement plan services and wellness programs.
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