Brands, organizations and celebrities are engaging on issues around mental health. 

One out of every five American adults lives with some degree of mental health-related issue or disorder. In their personal lives, many face isolation, withdrawal, sleep troubles and relationship difficulties. In their professional lives, they exhibit trouble concentrating, lower productivity, absenteeism and more. 

Social Innovation Summit (SIS) convenes annually to address timely topics and bring together thinkers and doers who can impact change in these areas. During this year’s summit, mental health took the main stage. Keynote speakers spoke on this topic, roundtable discussions had standing room only and one mental health initiative was honored as the SIS 2023 Innovator of the Year.

The focus on employee well-being didn’t end there. SIS addressed other topics that play a key role in mental health, including investing in employees through family support policies, advancing equity through inclusive hiring practices, strategies and perspectives on the future of work, culture as a catalyst for business success and many more. 

Mental health and the workplace

A person’s overall mental health can have a significant impact on their work productivity and, in turn, their employer’s bottom line. Gallup has identified five common elements of well-being that people need to thrive: career, social, financial, physical and community. Career is the most important driver overall and the cost of poor well-being accounts for:

• 75% of medical costs accrued, mostly due to preventable conditions; and
• $322 billion globally lost in turnover and productivity due to employee burnout.

Additionally, Gallup found engaged workers who aren’t thriving in other areas of their lives are 61% more likely to experience burnout often or always; 66% more likely to experience daily worry; 48% more likely to report daily stress and twice as likely to report daily sadness and anger when compared to engaged and thriving workers. 

While stress at home can impact career performance, the opposite can also be true: Job dissatisfaction can lead to mental health difficulties. Nearly 48.6 million Americans, or 30% of the workforce, identify as victims of workplace bullying, which can harm mental and physical health and lead to lower productivity. Chronic stress at work can increase the likelihood of depression and even physical ailments, resulting in missed workdays and a phenomenon known as presenteeism. 

Absenteeism is costly to employers but presenteeism – when employees come to work but don’t produce to their full potential – is even more costly, according to Harvard Business Review. When businesses address employee well-being and engagement, it benefits workers and the business alike.

The need for funding

Historically and across the globe, mental health is one of the most underfunded issues, with only 1.2% of funds globally dedicated to mental health care, according to Elyse Cohen, vice president of social impact and Inclusion for Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez and president of the Rare Impact Fund. The lack of sufficient funding means many people put off getting the mental health care they need. “We don’t have the luxury of time to worry about funding,” Cohen said during a panel discussion at SIS. 

Gomez, who’s been very open and candid about her own mental health struggles, created Rare Beauty to promote self-acceptance and give people the tools they need to feel less alone in the world. The brand donates a portion of its sales to the Rare Impact Fund – focused on youth mental health, it gives people access to resources. Additionally, Rare Beauty has raised over $6 million through fundraising efforts, making it the largest known entity focused on youth mental health. 

A systems-based change

At SIS, Cohen emphasized the need to address mental health both systemically and holistically, and Zak Williams, a mental health advocate and CEO & founder of Prepare Your Mind (PYM), agreed. Williams chimed in during the panel with his thoughts about the need for lifestyle interventions – nutrition, fitness, mindfulness, meditation, therapy, community support, spiritual practice and more. 

PYM is “a company that creates nutrition for mental well-being and tries to deliver education in a meaningful way,” said Williams, who’s also a Bring Change to Mind and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts board member. “Focus on prevention-oriented solutions such as peer-to peer support, mindfulness and meditation, which create tighter bonds and help people feel better connected,” advised Williams.  

Williams went on to explain that the mental health system in our nation is unable to handle the volume of crisis care solutions needed, and if businesses use data to create more advanced risk models, they will see those preventative solutions, such as better nutrition, save money without creating additional burdens. 

Both Cohen and Williams said biases have historically contributed to the stigma around mental health, but today’s leaders can intervene. “A lot of biases were set by older generations, especially when it comes to this issue,” said Cohen. “If those of us in the middle break down those biases, we won’t pass them down to younger generations.” 

Advocating for change

Cohen advises business leaders to advocate for culture change, starting at the top. Educate and inform. Learn how to recognize signs and symptoms and know how to interact with an employee in crisis. 

Not all mental health issues are outwardly visible, and this year’s SIS Innovator of the Year winner seeks to change that. Be There Certificate – a free mental health resource, created by Jack.org in partnership with Born This Way Foundation – educates and empowers youth through connection, helping them to recognize the behavioral changes that can signify mental illness. “No issue matters more to your company than this [mental health] issue,” said Cohen. “It impacts productivity, financial bottom line – and intersects with racial inequality and issues across the board.” 

“Invest in strategic partnerships that focus on amplification and awareness and be educators,” chimed in Williams, who advises leaders to consider what resources can be deployed, breaking these down to include the full gamut, from programming, to awareness, to research, followed by advocacy and policy. 

Action is key

What’s encouraging to hear is that some of Rare Beauty’s most saved posts on social media are those that educate about mental health. That is a clear indication that young people are hungry to talk about this issue. Hopefully, twenty years from now, business leaders will no longer be talking about why it’s important to invest in mental health, she said. 

Taking action is key, and Cohen emphasized that businesses don’t have to do everything at once. “Don’t let perfection be the enemy of success here,” she said. “Companies worry they have to do everything. What’s most important is to start somewhere and partner with organizations that can strengthen companies on the inside and outside.”  

Olivia Brooks Allan is the Executive Vice President at Landmark Ventures and is also the Head of Landmark’s industry-leading strategic events business, facilitating guests to build relationships with technology-focused dealmakers through prestigious summits and philanthropic events. Olivia is responsible for all aspects of the Events Practice success, including shaping the vision for the events that occur all year round by overseeing multi-dimensional teams accountable for partnerships, programming, sales, production, design, marketing, operations, logistics, growth, and ongoing innovations.