Navigating mental health treatment: Options & access for employees

Individuals suffering from mental health challenges can often see seeking treatment and support as an overwhelming obstacle course filled with anxiety, frustration and stigma. Companies can have a strong and valuable impact by supporting their employees by offering guidance and resources to help them find the best possible line of treatment early on.

1. Types of Mental Health Treatment

Mental health treatment is multifaceted and can go from meditation apps and coaching to therapy and medication. Let's have a look at the most common options:

Therapy

The term therapy encompasses a wide range of approaches, including:

• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT): a form of talking therapy that helps people identify and change unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaviour. It usually focuses primarily on addressing current issues rather than exploring past experiences. It has proven effective on a wide range of topics such as depression, anxiety disorders, addictions and more.
• Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a form of psychotherapy designed to help people recover from traumatic memories and distressing life experiences. It involves recalling traumatic events while performing guided bilateral stimulation, such as side-to-side eye movements. This process is intended to change the way traumatic memories are stored in the brain, reducing their lingering psychological impact and associated symptoms. It is advised for helping with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety disorders, grief and many other diagnoses.
• Motivational enhancement therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), is a type of therapy designed to help individuals overcome ambivalence about change, particularly regarding harmful behaviours like substance misuse. It is a brief approach typically lasting 4–6 sessions and utilises non-confrontational negotiation to help clients identify and address their reasons for and against change, encouraging movement toward healthier choices. DBT is primarily used for individuals with substance use disorders or people struggling with risky behaviours such as gambling.
• Psychodynamic therapy is a form of talking therapy that focuses on exploring how unconscious processes and early-life experiences influence current thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. It emphasizes the relationship with the therapist, helping clients gain insight into patterns that may be linked to past relationships, significant childhood experiences, and hidden emotions. It has proven to work best on individuals struggling with depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties, personality disorders, trauma, loss, and emotional distress.
• Interpersonal therapy (IPT), is a short-term psychotherapy (typically 12–16 sessions) that focuses on improving a person's interpersonal relationships and social functioning to help reduce psychological symptoms, primarily depression, but also other mood and some anxiety disorders. IPT assumes that symptoms are linked to problems in relationships or social roles and emphasizes adapting to, or resolving, those difficulties through practical techniques.

Therapy can occur in one-on-one or group sessions. Groups can be composed of strangers facing similar challenges or family members. The focus is usually on discussing struggles and developing coping strategies.

Medication

From antidepressants to antipsychotics, there are various classes of medications for mental health conditions. They are all pharmaceutical treatments prescribed by health care professionals based on diagnosis for conditions ranging from anxiety to depression and bipolar disorder. Patients require careful monitoring by professionals due to potential side effects.

It is important to note that therapists and psychologists do not prescribe medication, while psychiatrists and GPs do.

Coaching

Coaching is distinct from therapy, focusing more on practical life and work goals rather than clinical treatment. It can be a stand-alone approach or a complement to therapy. Typically, coaching concentrates on goal-setting, resilience, stress management, and other practical strategies. It can be delivered in peer-led or professionally facilitated groups or individually.

Other well-being practices

While we are focusing here on treatments, it is worth mentioning strategies that any individual can implement on their own or through online resources in their daily life, such as:

• meditation
• mindfulness
• journaling
• regular physical exercise
• yoga
• Breathing exercises
• …

That, when applied regularly and properly, can help appease individuals and sometimes even eliminate or reduce the need for treatment (depending on the person and the situation of course).

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to mental health. Finding the proper mental health treatment depends on a lot of factors, from the type and severity of symptoms to accessibility. While it might feel beyond the scope of the company's responsibility, early intervention and ongoing support are extremely important. They can (and should) start in the workplace.

2. Different Ways to Access Treatment

The Importance of Early Intervention in the Workplace

Mental health conditions tend to develop gradually (from stress to anxiety, depression or burnout, for example). That is why identifying early signs (such as changes in mood, performance, attendance, or engagement) and seeking support sooner can truly prevent conditions from escalating.

Research by Group Risk Development (GRID), the industry body for the group insurance sector, shows that over the past decade, mental health conditions have been either the first or second highest cause of claim by employees. It also shows that pre-emptive strategies and timely interventions in mental health issues are the most efficient. According to their latest release report in January 2025, "in 2023, nearly half (47%) of those who were helped back to work by early interventions made by GIP insurers were those suffering from mental ill-health".

That only works for individuals who have dared to seek out help or open up about their issues. As we have seen in previous pieces, only about one-third of employees utilize their company's mental health support services.

A 2023 report by PAM group shares that referring people to occupational health before they become too sick to work can reduce absence by 64%, clearly showing that companies that implement early intervention through accessible, private and easy-to-use mental health support can maintain their staff morale, well being, consequently reducing absenteeism and drop in productivity associated.

The earlier employees can be advised on whom to turn to and what treatment best suits their needs, the better the chances for the individual to recover and the company to avoid unnecessary loss. For that, every single employee needs to be aware from day one of all the options they have to seek support in their workplace.

The resources

In this list, we outline the progression from informal, peer-based support to structured, professional, and clinically backed mental health resources.

1. Manager
   Managers who have received mental health training can offer initial support or signposting. While not mental health professionals, they can play a crucial role in early intervention.
2. Buddy Program
   A workplace mental health buddy program provides informal, peer-to-peer support, often focusing on onboarding and social integration. It is more of an informal arrangement. Buddies may offer a listening ear, but are not trained in mental health intervention. They might, however, be able to flag early signs of mental health challenges.

3. Mental Health First Aider
   Mental Health First Aiders are trained to identify, support, and guide individuals experiencing mental health issues, providing initial support and signposting them to relevant resources. They are not therapists, but they have more specialized training than buddies or managers.
4. Health Insurance
   Workplace health insurance is a group health benefit that gives employees access to private healthcare, additional health services, and financial protection against medical costs, all arranged and often funded by their employer.
5. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)
   EAPs provide confidential access to professional counsellors, therapists, and other resources for a range of personal and work-related issues, including mental health concerns. External providers typically provide them and tend to provide broad, often short-term support (i.e. with a fixed number of sessions available).
6. Digital Mental Health Platform
   DMHP is a scalable, personalised, and easily accessible mental health care support platform focused on clinical and behavioural interventions, including self-assessment tools, online resources, live chat or video therapy sessions with licensed professionals, and ongoing progress tracking.

3. Cost and Engagement

Both Digital Mental Health Platforms and EAPs are usually free of charge for the end user, the employee, while the employer covers the cost. These are particularly helpful for start-ups and small businesses which might not be able to offer comprehensive benefits but still want to provide access to support and professionals. In terms of engagement, DMHP show much higher engagement rates (10 to 20 times) than EAPs and regular Health Insurance.

Insurance plans have various types of coverage and deductibles based on the plan as well as the country you're in. It is an essential part of the employee benefits package as a financial instrument designed to help employees cover the costs associated with treating acute health-related conditions. It serves as a safety net but not as a healthcare solution in itself. It lacks personalisation, employee engagement, and clear accountability.

Ultimately, all companies need to recognise that mental health needs vary and evolve and that a comprehensive mental health support system meeting employees' needs at both formal and informal levels is key to fostering a culture of care and resilience.