What is Silent Suffering?  

Eight in ten employees with behavioral health conditions say shame and stigma prevent them from getting help. Many fear being open about their mental health will make them appear unprofessional or incapable and may even jeopardize their job. These fears contribute to a phenomenon known as silent suffering, where employees suppress their mental health needs rather than address them. 

 

Unfortunately, silent suffering is endemic in most workplaces. Employees who suffer in silence report feeling distracted, lonely, and unmotivated at work — which often contributes to the worsening of symptoms. Silent suffering also creates problems for employers, as untreated conditions can significantly impact employer healthcare budgets. Untreated depression is as costly as heart disease or AIDS to the US economy, costing over $51B in absenteeism from work and lost productivity and $26B in direct treatment costs . And, it's critical that mental health care needs are identified early before symptoms worsen.  

 

Employers can create a safe space for employees to access mental health treatment quickly and easily. But it’s not just good practice — it’s good business. According to the American Psychological Association, 81% of workers plan to seek out employers who offer mental health support.  

 

 

Seeking Support to End Suffering  

Employers want to help combat stigma and support their teams and are looking for the best ways to do that. We believe the most effective solutions are those where consumers are in charge, giving employees human support and self-service digital tools. This includes: 

 

• Time to Think about Care Goals – Employees should be prompted to take a dynamic assessment upon registering for a new solution that asks about care history and care goals. Thus, if an individual identifies behavioral health needs such as stress or insomnia, they can be directed to care through personalized content or support from a diverse care team.  
• Guidance and Motivation —Health Guides can serve as a ‘soft landing’ for individuals to share care goals and use techniques like motivational interviewing to elicit a better understanding of needs to provide tailored education and care guidance. 
• Access to Therapists & Other Providers — It’s no secret that it can be challenging to find a mental health provider (e.g., therapist, psychiatrist) so employers should provide access to up-to-date provider finder capabilities that enable individuals to confidently search for high-quality primary care and mental health providers without falling victim to ghost networks1.  
• Deeper Understanding of Symptoms — Individuals can search symptoms using a clinically validated tool and will receive next best care actions based on their behavioral health symptoms, such as fatigue and insomnia, and receive trusted, high-quality insights.  
• Care – Many behavioral health needs are identified in primary care, which can be delivered in-person or virtually. Virtual care solutions can often provide near real-time care planning for individuals  

 

Offering diverse and integrated solutions can help employees receive the care they need in a timely and effective manner, which ultimately leads to better and more affordable treatment outcomes.  

 

Conclusion  

Employers benefit the most when employees feel their best at work. By supporting multiple entry points to care, employees can understand their health and care needs on their own terms. By pairing it with easy, personalized access to high-quality mental health care, employers can better empower and support their employees’ well-being - while also driving better engagement of services. Furthermore, facilitating a workplace culture where employees feel empowered to address their mental health will help not only destigmatize care but also improve overall employee well-being, satisfaction, and performance at work.   

 

Learn more about how Transcarent Behavioral Health Care helps employers reduce silent suffering in the workplace by visiting our website or requesting a demo.