Even with the global emphasis on mental health, many people are still in the dark about its importance for general wellness. This is evident in a recent study that revealed that half of employed Americans don’t consider mental health a valid reason for a day off work.

Stigma at the workplace

OnePoll conducted the Survey for Learn to Live on 2000 working American adults to get their opinions on mental health in relation to the workplace. Researchers found that more than half the participants would not ask for a day off from work to solve mental health issues.

According to the study, 57% of the participants believe that there’s still stigma around the mental health discussion. On the other hand, 60% believe that their superiors would judge if they asked to get time off work for mental health issues. As a whole, 54% believe that asking for time off work for mental health reasons is not a good idea.

A notable 70% of the participants said they’d prefer to take a whole day off rather than a few hours and have to explain to their superiors why they had to take time off. Another 67% said that they prefer to keep the reasons for their time off vague and  tell their bosses that they have ‘an appointment.’ 

Fear of rejection

Over half the participants felt that their superiors would find them incompetent if they took time off for a mental health appointment. Participants with a salary were more in agreement with that statement(62%) as compared to the 48% of those with hourly pay.

In spite of the fear of criticism, 60% of the participants already take some form of mental health program. In addition, 55% admitted that they require more mental healthcare since the beginning of the pandemic.

Woefully, 48% of the participants cited high costs as a stumbling block in their pursuit of mental healthcare. More regrettably, 45% said stigma from their family and friends was also a hindrance.