Majority of Americans believe people with mental health conditions treated differently

A recently published survey revealed that nearly two-thirds of Americans believe people dealing with mental health conditions are treated differently.

In a company press release, LifeWorks Health Index reported that 63% percent of 5,000 Americans who took an online survey expressed reservations about how mental health conditions may be treated by family, friends, colleagues and employers, with another 30%stating they were unsure how mental health conditions may be viewed.

According to the survey, 32% of Americans are uncomfortable talking about mental health with their manager, 32% are uncomfortable addressing mental health with their colleagues and 14% expressed discomfort speaking with friends and family.

Those who felt supported with mental health issues cited work flexibility (46%), employer-promoted mental health services and resources (31%), and dedicated days off for mental health care (21%) as the main reasons.

Additionally, per the release, the 51% of those polled who felt their mental health was supported by their employer during the pandemic logged a mental health score more than six points higher than the national average.

“Access to mental health support provides a tangible safety net for working Americans,” LifeWorks President and CEO Stephen Liptrap stated in the release. “It’s clear that those who feel supported by employers are in a better place mentally than those without such support. Employers need to address this reticence to engage because this environment of uncertainty has far-reaching consequences.”

Among other findings, the index score for June was 69.9, a slight improvement from May’s score of 69.4, also reporting American workers’ optimism and general psychological health declined from May to June, while mental health scores improved in all regions across the U.S. except the West.