How the Workplace Can Support Caregivers of Youth with Mental Health Conditions

Setting the Stage ??

The United States is facing a youth mental health crisis. Recent analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the number of teens and young adults with depression more than doubled from 2011 to 2021. Furthermore, 42 percent of high school students reported experiencing persistent feelings of sadness. Unfortunately, this is not a new issue: In 2021, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy delivered a rare warning that mental health challenges were leading to “devastating effects” among young people, according to the New York Times. He has continued this conversation over the past two years, saying, "Mental health is the defining public health crisis of our time," per the New York Times. Within his advisory, the surgeon general stated that employers can play a key role in directly or indirectly supporting youth mental health and detailed actions for employers.???

Amid this youth mental health crisis, parents and guardians experience significant stress. In addition to workplace and everyday demands, many employees harbor the mental load of their child’s mental health and safety. This underlying stress can greatly affect employees’ engagement and participation in the workplace. In fact, in 2022, almost half of parents reported that in the past year, their child's mental health had been somewhat or extremely disruptive to their ability to work on most days, according to the On Our Sleeves campaign. Furthermore, in 2022, 53 percent of working parents missed one day of work at least once per month to respond to their children’s mental health needs.?

Santi Bhagat, founder and president of Physician-Parent Caregivers, said, “The spreading of stress is profound; it is really important to start supporting employees who are caregivers of youth with mental health conditions. You can’t just treat the child; you have to treat the whole family.”??

To avoid the unintended consequences of disengagement and burnout of working Americans, employers can seize the opportunity to address the needs of their employees who are caregivers of youth with mental health conditions. By implementing support initiatives for these employees, workplaces can build an engaged workforce, support healthier families, and avoid financial losses associated with a disengaged workforce, as reported by Kaiser Permanente.?

“It's important for employers to acknowledge the demanding dual roles of US employees who are also caregivers for young people with mental health conditions,” said The Hartford Chairman and CEO Christopher Swift. “Organizations with inclusive workplaces and robust mental health resources that support the unique needs of caregivers and their loved ones will improve mental health now and in the future.”?

At a Glance: Workplace Insights to Consider??

• Retain a Thriving Workforce: Employees who are caregivers of youth with mental health conditions often feel pressure to leave the workforce. One-third of working parents report changing or quitting their jobs in the past two years because of their child’s mental health condition, according to On Our Sleeves. Though this is a cross-generational issue, Millennial parents, who by 2025 will make up 75 percent of the workforce, have higher expectations of their employers, according to Forbes. Millennial parents are more likely than Gen X parents to leave a job if the employer does not offer child mental health benefits.?
• Costs to the Workplace: Kaiser Permanente research finds that disengaged workers cost their workplace the equivalent of 18 percent of their annual salary. A disengaged employee population can drastically affect the organization’s financial health.?
• Evidence-Based Resources: No matter the size or type of employer, evidence-based resources can help employers who are caregivers of youth and young adults with mental health conditions. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) offers a variety of supports for caregivers.?

Opportunities for Employers to Make an Impact?

• Provide Caregiver Support Programs: Providing educational materials, confidential caregiver consultations, crisis counseling, and respite care equips employees with the tools they need to care for a child or young adult’s mental health condition, whether acute or chronic.??

• Offer Inclusive Benefits: Workplace benefits that support the employees’ loved ones have the potential to recruit more talent. In a national survey by On Our Sleeves, 72 percent of working parents said jobs with mental health resources for children are more attractive. If workplaces are unable to fund these, they can refer employees to community-based organizations or government agencies.?
• Communicate Year-Round: Communicating frequently about benefits, such as Employee Assistance Programs that provide counseling and connections to home care, ensures employees know where to find help when they need it.?
• Support Time Off: Backing employees when they need time off to balance their familial and professional responsibilities—whether paid or unpaid time off, sick days, or paid caregiver leave—enables employees to care for loved ones without leaving the workforce altogether.??
• Cultivate Community: Encouraging forums where caregivers can share advice and provide peer-to-peer support, such as an employee resource group, and training managers on mental health fundamentals offer a supportive network to protect employees’ own mental health.?

Conclusion?

“It is when leaders make themselves vulnerable that others feel safe to do so," said Peter Toal, global head of fixed income syndicate at Barclays.?

Employers have an opportunity and responsibility to start a conversation with employees about youth mental health. Employees who are caregivers of youth with mental health conditions face mounting stress, which impacts their workplace performance, engagement, and productivity. As the youth mental health crisis continues to grow, employers should look upstream and implement workplace policies for their employees who are caregivers of youth with mental health conditions. By offering support, employers will see a healthier workforce, business, and communities where they live and operate.?

The Milken Institute's Public Health Team works with The Hartford to promote employer actions that foster mentally healthy workplaces.?

Resources?

• Milken Institute: Making Waves: Next Gen Making a Difference in Mental Health in the Workplace?
• Milken Institute: A Thriving Workplace: Belongingness as a Tenet of Workplace Mental Health?
• NAMI Basics Education Program?
• NAMI Youth and Young Adult Resources?
• NAMI Back to School Resources?
• NAMI Kids, Teens, and Young Adults Resources?
• NAMI Family Members and Caregivers?
• Barclays: We Want a Culture Where You Feel Safe in Being Yourself?

• Milken Institute: Supporting Family Caregivers: A Worldwide Need?
• Harvard Graduate School of Education: Caring for Caregivers: The Critical Link between Parent and Teen Mental Health?
• Protecting Youth Mental Health: The US Surgeon General’s Advisory?
• CDC: Mental Health of Children and Parents—A Strong Connection? ?