Teen mental health problems — ranging from anxiety to depression to suicide — are surging in the United States. This alarming rise not only affects teens but also places a significant emotional strain on their parents, potentially disrupting their focus and productivity at work.

A recent Headspace webinar, “From Work to Home: The Employer's Role in Addressing Teen Mental Health,” featuring Elisha Engelen, Aon’s Vice President of Health Transformation, and Jenna Glover, Headspace’s Chief Clinical Officer, explored how organizations can help their employees by offering a comprehensive system of care for both teenagers and their families.

The rise in mental health issues among teens

Research indicates that one in five teens suffers a mental health disorder — such as anxiety and depression — and the increase in these numbers appears to be concurrent with the rise of social media and problematic internet use (PIU). 

“I'm not going to oversimplify it and say the reason that we see higher rates of anxiety and depression is just because of social media,” Glover said in the webinar. “It's too simple of an explanation, but it is a contributing factor.”

Social media can be a stressor for teens that impacts the development of their brains. “When adolescents are exposed to chronic stressors, it actually can impact and change the structure and the function of really important parts of the brain — so things like the hippocampus, the amygdala, and the prefrontal cortex,” Glover said in the webinar. “Essentially, those are responsible for your memory, for your emotion regulation, and for your executive functions.” 

The impact of teen mental health issues on their parents — and the workplace

Even if teens don’t make up your employee base, there’s a chance that their parents do. An increasing number of these workers are preoccupied with the mental health challenges of their children, which can lead to distracted workers, absenteeism, and reduced productivity,  as well as mental health problems of their own. 

“When I look at parents these days who are debating having to quit their job to help take care of kids, I think about how an organization can help them get the caregiving they need from a childcare perspective,” Elisha Engelen, Aon’s Vice President of Health Transformation said in the webinar.  

She also outlined five reasons why it’s crucial for employers to support caregivers who are consumed with helping their struggling children:

• Reduced absenteeism. By offering mental health services that are easy to access, parents are likely to spend less time looking for providers and more likely to be present at work. About two-thirds of caregivers whose child needed treatment report missing 3 or more days of work, compared to one-third of caregivers whose child did not need treatment. 
• Improved employee well-being. By addressing children’s mental health, organizations are also supporting their employees — because depression and anxiety in parents are linked to emotion troubles in their children. Six in 10 parents report that concern about their children’s mental health has caused their own mental health to suffer. 
• Improved productivity and focus. When teens receive proper mental healthcare, their parents are less likely to be preoccupied by concerns about their children. The availability of treatment enables them to regain their focus and be productive at work. Almost half of working parents say their children’s mental health has impacted their performance at work in some fashion.
• Attraction and retention of talent. Offering mental health benefits for dependents can make a company more attractive to potential hires. Additionally, employees who believe their company provides the right resources for their family are less likely to leave. More than half of caregivers who intended to quit their job in the next six to 12 months said the reason for leaving is concerns about their child’s health.  
• Cost savings. Early intervention and proper mental healthcare can prevent more severe health issues that can be significantly more costly to treat. The economic ripple effects of the mental health crisis among teens are estimated at up to $185 billion in lifetime medical cost and $3 trillion in lifetime lost productivity and wages. 

How employers can help 

When teens are struggling with their mental health, it’s important to get treatment that is tailored to their needs — which can include cognitive behavioral therapy and visits with therapists, in person or virtually — as soon as possible. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) that provide fast access to care can help the teens who are suffering, and that kind of easy access to help can also give support to the caregivers. 

“If someone is worried about the mental health of their child or the health of their child in general, they're going to be spending as much time as they can to find the right fit,” Engelen said in the webinar. She continued, “If you have employees that don't have access to mental healthcare through their benefits and through the carriers that you provide to them, they're going to spend a lot of time spinning their wheels.” 

This mental healthcare crisis for teens isn’t going away any time soon, and neither is the stress on their parents, which can bleed into the workplace. To ensure that these parents get their children the care they need and to ensure that employees can focus on their jobs, many organizations are finding that partnering with trusted mental health solutions can make teen mental healthcare more accessible can help every party involved: the teen who is struggling, the parent who is preoccupied, and the organization, too. 

Solutions like Headspace EAP make mental health support more accessible and approachable for all ages. With options such as chat, video, and phone consultations, family members of any age can connect with high-quality providers in the way that suits them best. Additionally, Headspace offers thousands of evidence-based resources, ensuring there’s something for every generation. When the whole family feels supported, they grow and thrive together. To learn more about how employers can support teen mental health, watch the full webinar here.

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