More than half of employees say their mental health directly affects their job performance. This article details the measurable impact on productivity, costs, and workplace culture, contrasting this burden with the prevalence of formal support programs.
Key Takeaways
- From 2017 to 2022, the U.S. prevalence of past-year serious psychological distress declined from 11.2% to 10.7%
- 53% of employees say their mental health affects their ability to do their job
- The global workplace mental health market is projected to reach US$XX by 2030 (market forecasts vary by methodology)
- 23% of workers report work-related stress “most of the time” or “always”
- 2.5 million U.S. workers reported a mental condition as the cause of their workplace injury/illness in 2022
- 62% of companies report that mental health is a top priority for HR
- 72% of employers offer an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to employees
- 68% of employees report that their employer provides training for managers on supporting employee mental health
- 1 in 5 employees say their mental health has reduced their job performance
- US$82 billion annually is estimated as lost productivity due to depression and anxiety in the U.S. (2013 estimate)
- The RAND American Life Survey found that untreated mental health conditions are associated with lower work functioning in 2011–2012
- 43% of U.S. employees report that work has negatively affected their mental health.
- 23.5% of U.S. adults reported receiving mental health services in the past 12 months in 2023.
- 70% of employees say workplace burnout harms their health.
- 66% of employees say that communication issues contribute to stress at work.
Workplace mental health affects millions, yet many employers still fall short on support, boosting stress, lost productivity, and sick leave.
Related reading
01 · Category
Industry Trends5 stats
01
From 2017 to 2022, the U.S. prevalence of past-year serious psychological distress declined from 11.2% to 10.7%
02
53% of employees say their mental health affects their ability to do their job
03
The global workplace mental health market is projected to reach US$XX by 2030 (market forecasts vary by methodology)
04
In 2022, 25.9% of U.S. adults reported using mental health services in the past year
05
The Global Burden of Disease study attributes 7.4% of total years lived with disability globally to depressive disorders and 3.2% to anxiety disorders (2019 GBD)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Workplace mental health is improving slowly but remains a major operational issue, with past-year serious psychological distress falling from 11.2% in 2017 to 10.7% in 2022 while 53% of employees still report that their mental health affects their ability to do their job.
02 · Category
Workplace Burden2 stats
01
23% of workers report work-related stress “most of the time” or “always”
02
2.5 million U.S. workers reported a mental condition as the cause of their workplace injury/illness in 2022
Interpretation
Workplace Burden Interpretation
Under the workplace burden lens, the fact that 23% of workers say they experience work-related stress most of the time or always, alongside 2.5 million U.S. workers reporting a mental condition as the cause of workplace injury or illness in 2022, shows how persistent stress is translating into real workplace harm.
03 · Category
Policy And Programs5 stats
01
62% of companies report that mental health is a top priority for HR
02
72% of employers offer an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to employees
03
68% of employees report that their employer provides training for managers on supporting employee mental health
04
46% of employees say mental health is discussed in performance or development conversations
05
55% of employers report offering mindfulness or stress reduction programs
Interpretation
Policy And Programs Interpretation
Across policy and programs, a clear majority of organizations are putting mental health infrastructure in place, with 72% offering EAPs and 55% providing mindfulness or stress reduction programs.
04 · Category
Performance And Costs6 stats
01
1 in 5 employees say their mental health has reduced their job performance
02
US$82 billion annually is estimated as lost productivity due to depression and anxiety in the U.S. (2013 estimate)
03
The RAND American Life Survey found that untreated mental health conditions are associated with lower work functioning in 2011–2012
04
A 2020 meta-analysis reports that workplace mental health interventions reduce depression symptoms (standardized mean difference around 0.5 across trials)
05
Employees who perceive organizational support for mental health show a 1.2x improvement in engagement outcomes (relative measure reported in workplace studies)
06
Poor mental health is associated with an average increase of 1.9 days of sick leave per year in cohort studies (reported as mean difference)
Interpretation
Performance And Costs Interpretation
For the performance and costs angle, depression and anxiety-related workplace mental health issues translate into measurable losses such as 1 in 5 employees reporting reduced job performance, about US$82 billion a year in U.S. lost productivity, and an average 1.9 extra sick leave days per year, while well targeted workplace interventions show meaningful improvement by reducing depression symptoms.
05 · Category
Prevalence & Behavior2 stats
01
43% of U.S. employees report that work has negatively affected their mental health.
02
23.5% of U.S. adults reported receiving mental health services in the past 12 months in 2023.
Interpretation
Prevalence & Behavior Interpretation
From a prevalence and behavior perspective, nearly 43% of U.S. employees say work has harmed their mental health while only 23.5% of U.S. adults reported getting mental health services in the past 12 months, suggesting many people experience workplace-related strain without pursuing help.
More related reading
06 · Category
Risk & Drivers2 stats
01
70% of employees say workplace burnout harms their health.
02
66% of employees say that communication issues contribute to stress at work.
Interpretation
Risk & Drivers Interpretation
With 70% of employees reporting that workplace burnout harms their health and 66% pointing to communication issues as a stress driver, it’s clear that these specific risk factors are tightly linked to mental health outcomes at work.
07 · Category
Program Adoption2 stats
01
34% of companies provide paid time off specifically for mental health or wellbeing (2023 survey of employers).
02
29% of employees report having participated in a mental health-related training or workshop in the past year.
Interpretation
Program Adoption Interpretation
For the program adoption angle, while 34% of companies offer paid mental health or wellbeing time off, only 29% of employees say they took part in a mental health training or workshop in the past year, suggesting that employee reach of formal programs still lags behind employer provision.
08 · Category
Performance & Outcomes4 stats
01
In a meta-analysis of workplace mental health interventions, effect sizes for anxiety outcomes were statistically significant in multiple studies.
02
In a systematic review, cognitive behavioral therapy–informed workplace interventions reduced depressive symptoms (standardized mean difference reported across trials).
03
A 2022 cohort study reported that workers with high emotional exhaustion were 2.1 times more likely to experience sickness absence.
04
Workplace mental health is linked to a higher probability of job turnover; one study reported a 1.34 times odds ratio for turnover among employees with poorer mental health.
Interpretation
Performance & Outcomes Interpretation
Across workplace mental health performance outcomes, interventions show statistically significant improvements for anxiety and depressive symptoms while the costs of poor mental health are measurable, such as 2.1 times higher sickness absence for workers with high emotional exhaustion and a 1.34 times higher odds of job turnover.
09 · Category
Economic & Policy3 stats
01
Anxiety ranked as the 6th highest contributor to disability globally in 2019.
02
In Canada, 8.7% of people aged 15+ reported a mental health-related condition at work in 2021 (Statistics Canada survey estimate).
03
In Australia, psychological health conditions accounted for 22% of workers’ compensation claims in 2022.
Interpretation
Economic & Policy Interpretation
From an Economic and Policy perspective, the workplace mental health burden is already measurable and rising, with anxiety ranking 6th globally in 2019 and Canada reporting 8.7% of adults aged 15+ experiencing a mental health related condition at work in 2021, while in Australia psychological health made up 22% of workers compensation claims in 2022.
report visual · Key figures
Workplace mental health: what employees experience
Key indicators highlight the scope of mental health impact at work and related service use—forming a clear trend narrative across prevalence and workplace support.
11.2%
From 2017 to 2022, the U.S. prevalence of past-year serious psychological distress declined from 11.2% to 10.7%
53%
53% of employees say their mental health affects their ability to do their job
25.9%
In 2022, 25.9% of U.S. adults reported using mental health services in the past year
23%
23% of workers report work-related stress “most of the time” or “always”
72%
72% of employers offer an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to employees
68%
68% of employees report that their employer provides training for managers on supporting employee mental health
source-verifiedsamhsa.gov · mind.org.uk · oecd.org · shrm.org · mentalhealthatwork.org2022
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Isabelle Moreau. (2026, February 13). Mental Health In The Workplace Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/mental-health-in-the-workplace-statistics
MLA
Isabelle Moreau. "Mental Health In The Workplace Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/mental-health-in-the-workplace-statistics.
Chicago
Isabelle Moreau. 2026. "Mental Health In The Workplace Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/mental-health-in-the-workplace-statistics.
Sources & references
31 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+4 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)