Beyond Benefits: Building Personalized Mental Health Support at Work

Mental health challenges affect millions of American adults, costing over $210 billion annually in direct treatment costs, according to the National Institutes of Health. Employers shoulder many of those direct costs as well as losses from reduced productivity, absenteeism and turnover. April Koh, co-founder and CEO of Spring Health, joined Travelers’ Greg Landmark to share how employers can play a proactive role in improving mental well-being in America. This webinar explored the compelling business case for employer mental health support, examined real-world success stories and provided actionable strategies your organization can implement to move beyond generic wellness programs to truly personalized care that meets employees where they are.

This program is presented as part of the Travelers Institute’s Forces at Work^SM initiative, an educational platform to help today’s leaders navigate the shifting dynamics of the modern workplace and prioritize employees and their well-being. 

Explore the series on employee mental well-being: 

• Part one: Forces at Work Symposium at the New York Stock Exchange
• Part two: Overload: How Employers Can Help Maxed-Out Caregivers 

Please note: Due to the nature of the replays, survey and chat features mentioned in the webinar recordings below are no longer active.

Summary

What did we learn? Here are the top takeaways from Beyond Benefits: Building Personalized Mental Health Support at Work:

The U.S. workforce is facing a mental health crisis. In the United States, 83% of workers report daily stress, and 23% of adults would meet the criteria for a diagnosable mental disorder, according to a report from the Travelers Institute, Investing in Mental Well-Being: A Guide for Employers. Macro trends including the rise in hybrid work, the loneliness epidemic and social media anxiety also play a role, said April Koh, co-founder and CEO of Spring Health. Only about half of U.S. adults with a mental illness get treatment, and the first treatment often fails because the care isn’t well personalized, she said, adding, “But with high-quality, easy-to-access care, most people do find recovery.”

There’s a strong business case for investing in mental health. Mental health conditions significantly drives organizational costs, with healthcare costs alone increasing 8% to 9% in 2025, Koh said. For example, healthcare costs may be two to six times higher for an employee with a chronic condition such as diabetes if they also have depression, she said, noting that employers get back $2 in healthcare cost savings for every $1 invested in Spring Health, and that doubles when you factor in productivity. “We still have high expectations, and we want people to work hard, but we want them to do it with a healthy mind,” Landmark said.

More employers are focusing on mental health and well-being. Over the past decade and especially since the pandemic, organizations have increasingly focused on the strong link between employee mental health and productivity at work, Koh said. While mental health used to fall almost exclusively under the purview of benefits and HR departments, this important topic is now being prioritized in boardrooms and C-suites, she explained. Landmark agreed: “Statistics show many people are impacted by mental health, and for people to be productive and to thrive in their work environment and in life, we need to support mental health.”

Spring Health takes a data-driven approach to employee mental health. Since Koh co-founded Spring Health in her Yale University dorm room 10 years ago, the company has grown to 13,000 mental health providers and 1,500 employees that serve over 20 million people, offering self-guided resources such as mindfulness programs, as well as timely virtual or in-person coaching and therapy. Travelers partnered with Spring Health nearly two years ago, replacing an employee assistance program that was less widely used and lacked data on outcomes. Spring Health is available to Travelers employees and their dependents. “It’s changing the culture and impacting people’s lives,” Landmark said. “It helps us retain great talent and helps people thrive at work and at home.” 

Good management is critical to a mentally healthy workforce. “People often underestimate the role of good management in a workforce’s mental health,” Koh said, noting that offering manager training around mental health is key. For example, managers need to learn to show empathy, avoid labeling a mental health issue and know where to refer an employee for help, she said. The Travelers Institute report outlined five actionable steps managers can take, including open communication, active listening, recognizing signs of distress, checking in regularly and leading by example. “The relationship between a manager and their team is really critical,” Landmark said.

Speakers

 
April Koh 
Co-Founder and CEO, Spring Health 

 
Greg Landmark 
Senior Vice President, Total Rewards and People Analytics, Travelers 

Host

Joan Woodward
President, Travelers Institute; Executive Vice President, Public Policy, Travelers