How can companies better support the mental health of younger employees?
“The youth mental health crisis is one of the most pressing issues facing us today.”
That's according to Vivien Glencross, Interim President & CEO of Jack.org, speaking ahead of the Global Youth Mental Health conference in Vancouver last week.
According to a 2024 report by Mental Health Research Canada, “approximately 1.25 million of Canada's 4.6 million youth require mental health support each year.”
Whilst 874,000 young Canadians have access to mental health services, “57 percent have unmet needs,” it reported.
The recently published Lancet Psychiatry Commission on Youth Mental Health highlighted that “megatrends” such as “insecure employment and intergenerational inequality” are among the reasons for young people’s struggles.
Dr. Khush Amaria, VP clinical services & mental health support solutions at Kii Health, believes employers play a key role in addressing mental health challenges.
"Employers have a responsibility to support their employees, whether they are younger employees or more seasoned workers," she says.
Amaria suggests that to address mental health challenges, employers must start with creating an open dialogue: "Part of the solution is developing personalized, employee-focused education and support based on the needs and demands of the workforce."
According to a 2023 Canadian Psychological Association report, organizations have increased their focus on mental health services in recent years “with 93% providing coverage for psychological services. In the last two years, a third of surveyed organizations have increased their coverage levels for these services and another 16% aim to do so within the next year.”
Amaria, however, explained that it is not just about having support services — employers should remind employees about signs of mental health struggle and how and when they should use services.
“Is it a newsletter? Is it a webinar? Is it blogs? Whatever it is that, again, that younger generation, or any generation, would really benefit from to understand what are key signs of mental health distress? What are tools, and how do you use those tools? When do you pick up the phone and talk to a nurse navigator [or] when do you just click a button get started with a guided program, or self-guided program, for example?”
To ensure effective mental health support in the workplace, Amaria also emphasised it’s not just about offering resources to the workforce but offering programs to help people understand mental health needs at an intergenerational level.
"There are different experiences for individuals. For example, you think about remote work, it will impact an individual differently if they are in a family with many people around to somebody who might be in a new city for the first time, starting their career in a way.
Amaria also stressed that prioritizing mental health is not just the right thing to do for your employees—it is also a smart business decision.
“Mental health is really the foundation of good performance,” she argues. “When you prioritise the well-being of your employees, you see a return on investment through improved performance, reduced absenteeism, and a healthier, more productive workforce.”
Amaria also highlighted that retaining talented younger employees requires employers to offer benefits that align with their expectations: “Younger generations are leaving jobs at times because they want better benefits. If you want to hold on to those employees, you need to make sure you have benefits that match their expectations.”
The Canadian Psychological Association echoed these sentiments, according to their report, “the majority (68%) of Canadians say they would take a job with a good benefits plan over another job that pays more but does not have a benefits plan.”
Amaria believes that in order to improve mental health on a social level, it must start from the employer down. She emphasized that Employer Family Assistance Programs (EFAPs) are important.
"It could be your 22-year-old child, just starting their first career, who is getting access to support and other resources. So, I think we approach it from all angles. Employers can directly impact their employees, such as a 52-year-old mother of two young adults, and that will have a great trickle-down effect.
“Everyone around them will be able to demand and expect better mental health support.”
