The number of employees receiving mental health treatment has more than doubled over five years, rising from 19% in 2020 to 47% in 2025, according to research by Lyra Health.
Its 2026 State of workforce mental health report, which surveyed more than 2,500 US employees and over 500 benefits leaders, also found 65% of respondents said mental health has interfered with their ability to work and that there had been a 67% year-on-year spike in employees reporting complex, severe conditions. Two-thirds (65%) of benefits leaders said the number of staff taking mental health-related disability leave is increasing.
Half of the managers surveyed said they are considering leaving their roles because of the emotional weight they carry, while 93% of HR leaders have no idea they feel this way.
More than half (54%) of managers said their role has negatively affected their mental health, and 48% are considering leaving specifically due to mental health pressures, up from 30% in 2023.
Despite this, a majority (93%) of benefits leaders said they believe their managers are mentally healthy and thriving, up from 86% in 2023.
Meanwhile, 64% of managers reported being expected to respond to mental health crises without having received adequate training.
Alethea Varra, chief clinical officer at Lyra Health, said: “The question isn’t whether mental health support exists, it’s whether people can access it early enough, and whether it actually works. Employers cannot just check a box anymore. When more employees need serious help, the quality of care matters more than ever.”
Dr Joe Grasso, vice president, workforce transformation at Lyra Health, added: “As managers are asked to be the first line of support for their teams, our data suggests we’ve left them without the support they need. Organisations are deploying AI [artificial intelligence], restructuring roles, and resetting performance expectations at breakneck speed, while the managers navigating all of this get little to no preparation. We need to equip HR leaders and managers with specialised resources to handle the mental health challenges that come with transformative change.”
