Wysa, the leading AI-guided mental health solution, has released the results of the Colleagues in Crisis Report, which uncovers the extent to which American workers, especially younger generations, are at risk of mental health crisis and how employers can best offer support. The report reveals an alarming 20% of U.S. workers had been bothered by thoughts that they would be better off dead, or of hurting themselves in the two weeks prior to the survey. This figure expands to nearly one in three (32%) when applied to the past year.
Gathered through an accredited third-party research agency which polled over 2,000 American employees across all industries, the data shows U.S. workers experience high rates of feelings commonly associated with severe depression and suicide while at work. This includes emotional distance from others (33%), a sense of isolation or withdrawal (29%), dwelling on the past (26%), a sense of distraction or lack of humor (25%), persistent feeling of hopelessness (23%), and contemplation of death (7%). Younger workers face the most significant rates of these symptoms, with nearly half (45%) of 18 to 24-year-olds experiencing emotional distance from others at work and a sense of isolation or withdrawal.
The data suggests workers worry about their colleagues and don’t feel their employers are offering adequate help. Over the past year, 12% of U.S. workers experienced a colleague attempting or committing suicide, and 22% of American workers say they’ve felt concerned a colleague may harm themselves or take their own life. Further, 30% of workers believe their employer is overlooking serious mental health problems among their employees, and one in three do not feel that leaders at their company communicate effectively about mental health. To feel supported, 50% of workers would prefer an offer of professional help and 24% are interested in digital mental self-help tools as a solution.
“These statistics serve as a wake-up call for employers to recognize and address the mental health crisis within the workplace,” says Ramakant Vempati, president and co-founder at Wysa. “Even one person contemplating suicide or self-harm is too high. The average person will spend one-third of their lifetime at work, so U.S. companies have an opportunity to play a pivotal role in supporting individuals. Equipping the workplace with the tools and training to identify crises and provide critical interventions can prevent tragedies from occurring.”
The study finds that IT and telecommunications professionals have the highest occurrences of mental health crises. Over the past year, 46% of IT and telecommunications workers in America were bothered by thoughts of self-harm or suicidal ideation. This is followed by construction workers (40%), hospitality (38%), retail (37%), professional services (37%), financial and insurance services (35%), and logistics (33%). When it comes to support from employers, a staggering 74% of retail employees stated they have not received training on addressing severe depression, with hospitality (72%), manufacturing (70%), and construction (66%) following closely behind.
“As the mental health crisis escalates to dangerous levels, the impacts on the workplace are profound,” Vempati says. “These findings underscore the critical need for comprehensive mental health assistance to create a culture of support and understanding. That starts with employers removing stigma and increasing access to mental health treatments.”
