Mental health and substance use will continue to require employer attention
January 16, 2025
Source: CDC/Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey of U.S. adults LINK
This is the sixth in a series on issues facing employer-sponsored health insurance in 2025. See the bottom of the post for links to previous posts
Levels of poor mental health have come down since the peak of the pandemic but remain much higher than they were in 2019. Almost a third of adults report major symptoms of anxiety or depression during the previous week, and only a minority receive any mental health care. Mental health care is especially difficult to obtain in rural areas, but it’s not easy to find an appointment for a child psychiatrist to treat severely ill children even in urban areas.
Mental health care represents a majority of telemedicine visits in most of the country, and virtual care has increased access to mental health care for many. Virtual care has also helped many find a therapist more like them, which can improve efficacy of treatment.
Drug overdose deaths have declined this year for the first time in a decade, but remain almost 50% higher than they were in 2019. Access to naloxone (Narcan) to reverse respiratory depression from drug overdoses has improved, although far too few people who are addicted to opioids are offered medication assisted treatment.
Implications for employers:
- Employers can increase access to mental health and substance abuse services, often through third party vendors who will offer virtual care. Many employers are also reconfiguring their employee assistance programs (EAPs).
- Employers can require improved data reporting by their medical carriers and pharmacy benefit managers to identify patterns of need and patterns of care.
- Employers can audit their plans for mental health parity compliance, which can improve access to care and protect from Department of Labor sanctions.
- Supervisor and manager training can help increase appropriate referrals to EAPs. The National Council for Mental Wellbeing or the most medical carriers can help employers find training services.
- Naloxone access and training in the workplace can save lives.
Thanks for reading. You can find previous posts in the Employer Coverage archive
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Posts in this series:
Employers and health systems will continue to face labor shortages
Regulation and policy changes could reshape employer-sponsored health insurance
Artificial intelligence will continue to advance in health care delivery and administration
Climate change will adversely impact health and increase health care costs
Mental health and substance use will continue to require employer attention
Infectious disease will continue to pose serious risks