Poll: 40% of U.S. workers prefer online mental health evaluation

According to a recently released poll, mental health among U.S. workers has improved minimally from the depth of the COVID-19 pandemic, with about half of respondents stating they would like online assessments of their mental well-being.

Results of an online poll from LifeWorks, conducted from Nov. 11-18, among 5,000 respondents employed within the prior 6 months, revealed that 40% expressed wishes to connect with a mental health professional online, 36% preferred an in-person assessment, 6% opted for a phone consultation and 18% had no preference.

Per the release, the country’s Mental Health Index score for December was 69.5 points out of 100, a modest recovery from the last 2 months of declines, yet only three points higher than the pandemic-low score recorded in April 2020.

Data from the index also revealed 25% of U.S. workers have a high risk of developing a mental illness, improving slightly from the 27% mark in April 2020, but a far cry from the 14% reported as potentially high risk during the 3 years prior to 2020.

One central issue the index uncovered was that anxiety and depression were consistently ranked with the worst mental health sub-score for the past year, as roughly 30% of those in the high-risk group reported a diagnosis of either.

Age was a chief concern as well, with respondents aged 40 years and younger being three times more likely than those aged 50 years and older to admit their greatest worry is mental health and well-being. Those aged 40 years and younger were also twice as likely to lack confidence in their ability to cope with work and life stressors, and twice as likely to struggle when adjusting to change, which aligns with a mental health score 14 points below the national average.

“The data showing that half of Americans are interested in having a mental health assessment is a call to action and is another sign that the need is significant,” Paula Allen, LifeWorks global leader and senior vice president of research and total well-being, said in the release. “While in-person support will always have value, there is a growing preference among the population to use technology to start their personal mental health journey.”