Research: More people use mental health benefits when they hear that colleagues use them too

Published in: Harvard Business Review — 22 April 2024

Written by

Laura M. Giurge, Lauren C. Howe, Zsofia Belovai, Guusje Lindemann, and Sharon O’Connor

Summary

What we found: We discovered that sharing stories about colleagues using mental health support services significantly increased employee interest in learning about and signing up for these programs. Specifically, reading about a colleague's mild or severe mental health challenges increased sign-ups by 8% and 6.6% respectively, while emphasizing the anonymity of the program did not have a significant impact.

Why it matters: As mental health challenges at work become the norm, the time is ripe to conduct more research to understand how else to increase uptake of mental health resources. Historically, anonymity has been deemed crucial, with concerns about marginalization and differential treatment cited as primary reasons for the low engagement with mental health support services. However, this research suggests a paradigm shift, emphasizing the potential of storytelling in addressing these concerns.

What next: Organizations and leaders should foster a supportive culture that normalizes discussing mental health challenges, regardless of their severity. They should consider sharing about each other’s personal stories to encourage more employees to access mental health support, rather than solely emphasizing privacy and anonymity.