Employer-sponsored benefits and the fight to improve mental health
December 18, 2018
By Bo Armstrong
Originally Posted on BenefitsPRO.com
Mental health is one of the most significant healthcare challenges facing Americans today. An unseen and often overlooked healthcare need, it impacts people everywhere – at home, in the workplace and at school. It is estimated that:
- 1 out of 5 adults in the U.S. experiences a mental illness at some point in their lives
- Nearly 10 million adults live with a serious mental illness
- One-half of all chronic mental illnesses begin by age 14, with three-quarters of these illnesses by age 24
The prevalence of mental illness is worrying. However, the fact that so many people are not receiving treatment for it should be even more concerning. Of those who suffer with a mental illness, nearly three out of five adults and half of children ages 8 – 15 didn’t receive mental health services in the previous year. Given the ubiquity of this crisis, why aren’t people getting the help they need? Two reasons: the cost of treatment and the stigma surrounding mental health.
In fact, half of all mental illness patients rank treatment costs as the primary reason they don’t seek help – even if they have health insurance.
Is there a role that employers and benefits brokers can play in bridging the gap between treatment and costs for workers?
Read the full article on BenefitsPro.com.
Bo Armstrong
Chief Marketing Officer, DataPath, Inc.
Bo has over 20 years of marketing leadership experience. His responsibilities include branding, communications, social media, product marketing, PR and promotions. He focuses on identifying emerging market trends within the benefits industry and advocating for customers and their needs. Bo is also a national conference speaker and author of numerous white papers and articles on the healthcare benefits industry.