This is part of an ongoing series on mental health and leadership.

Mental health struggles are quietly shaping the modern workplace. Behind polished resumes and team meetings lie stories of anxiety, depression, burnout and loss – often shared only in whispers, if at all. In my own life, I’ve seen the toll increase even in the last few years: a friend’s brother lost to depression, a colleague’s teen hospitalized far from home due to a psychiatric bed shortage and a young relative’s husband who died by suicide. These aren’t isolated incidents – they mirror a growing crisis that leaders can no longer afford to ignore.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 1 in 5 U.S. adults experiences mental illness each year. Yet the American Psychiatric Association (APA) reports that more than half do not receive treatment. Fear of judgment, career damage and misunderstanding keep employees silent, especially in professional environments where vulnerability can feel like a liability.

The cost of stigma in the workplace

Mental health stigma remains pervasive and damaging. According to the APA, stigma appears in many forms: public stigma (negative stereotypes), self-stigma (internalized shame) and structural stigma (policies or cultures that limit support). Even as mental health awareness increases, many employees still fear speaking up, especially in high-performance environments where mental illness is wrongly equated with weakness or instability.

This fear is directly impacting workplaces. A 2022 national poll by the APA revealed that only 48% of employees feel comfortable discussing mental health with their supervisor – a sharp decline from previous years. This regression should alarm leaders. If employees don’t feel safe disclosing their mental health needs, they won’t seek support – leading to absenteeism, reduced productivity, increased turnover and, in the worst cases, crises that could have been prevented.

Leaders as culture setters

Executives and HR leaders play a pivotal role in shaping workplace culture. Your words, policies and behaviors set the tone for what’s acceptable. If mental health remains a taboo topic in your organization, it’s because it hasn’t yet been intentionally included in your leadership agenda.

Change starts with visibility. Talk about mental health in town halls, internal communications and team meetings – not just during Mental Health Awareness Month. Destigmatize the conversation by treating mental well-being as integral to performance and sustainability. Make it clear that using mental health resources is a proactive and respected choice – not a career risk.

Most organizations offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), but with typical usage rates of just 3–5% reported by the APA, they’re drastically underutilized and not the only answers. Leaders must do more than list these benefits in onboarding materials. You need to actively champion them, normalize their use and provide clear guidance on how to access support confidentially.

Model vulnerability

One of the most powerful actions executives can take is to share personal experiences. When a senior leader speaks candidly about facing burnout, grief or anxiety, it sends a message that mental health challenges are not a source of shame – they’re part of being human.

This type of storytelling reduces stigma and creates space for others to seek help without fear. Research shows that anti-stigma efforts are most effective when they include “contact” with individuals who have lived experience. In other words, it matters who tells the story – and leaders have a unique platform.

Go beyond talk with structural changes

Creating a stigma-free workplace requires more than awareness. It demands action. HR teams should audit policies and benefits through a mental health lens. Are your health plans covering therapy and psychiatric services on par with physical care? Are managers trained to recognize signs of distress and respond appropriately? Are employees encouraged to set boundaries and take mental health days without guilt?

Support must be tangible. Train leaders at every level to respond to disclosures with empathy, not skepticism. Provide managers with referral pathways so they can connect employees to professional help without overstepping or mishandling delicate situations.

Flexibility is also key. Just as physical illnesses may require modified duties or schedules, so too might mental health conditions. Normalize accommodations – remote work options, flexible hours, adjusted workloads – as part of your inclusive and supportive culture. You may shake your head, saying this seems like too much; but given the data, it is imperative to change how we think about mental health in our workplaces for the sake of our team members’ health and to be responsible stewards of the enterprise. 

A new standard for leadership

“Employees need and expect sustainable and mentally healthy workplaces, which requires taking on the real work of culture change,” Kelly Greenwood and Julia Anas wrote in a 2021 Harvard Business Review article called “It’s a New Era for Mental Health At Work,” which asserts it is not enough to simply offer the latest apps or employ euphemisms like “well-being” or “mental fitness.” The authors emphasize: “Employers must move from seeing mental health as an individual challenge to a collective priority.” That starts at the top.

As leaders, you have both the authority and responsibility to shift the culture. This means rejecting outdated notions of strength, prioritizing mental well-being in your strategic goals and making it clear that psychological safety is not a perk – it’s a baseline for high-performing, sustainable organizations.

By championing mental health and dismantling stigma, you’re not just supporting individual employees; you’re investing in your organization’s future. Healthier teams are more resilient, engaged and loyal. In today’s talent-driven market, that’s not just compassionate leadership – it’s smart business. 

For advice on breaking down stigma in the workplace, I turned to local leaders with expertise in mental health. 

Jim Hayes, executive director, Mind and Spirit Counseling Center

The data clearly indicate that paying attention to mental health promotes human flourishing AND improves the bottom line. Do a simple search about employee engagement or absenteeism and you’ll find the studies.

Let me offer two examples, one personal and one cultural:

I meet regularly with other executives to discuss leadership challenges. We investigate an event or strategic objective requiring consultation. More likely we explore what’s happening to us internally as we confront challenges. The conversations require vulnerability and honest ownership of our limitations. It’s a group where it’s OK to not be OK.

Culturally, we make time for our team to meet monthly to discuss issues that matter to them—either professional or personal. These confidential and controlled groups make space to discuss joys and issues most important to a person in real time, recognizing that we bring our whole self to the workplace and that we need the love, support and understanding of our colleagues to flourish.

Mary Gottschalk, financial consultant; board member, Mind and Spirit Counseling Center

As a financial consultant to multinational corporations, I knew that even the most talented and creative staffers would occasionally run into complex risk-management problems that they could not solve. One approach to reducing stress for the team and preserving my sanity at the same time was a “no surprises” policy. Staff were strongly encouraged to seek help from me or other senior staff as soon as they realized they needed additional guidance or another perspective.  

Admitting you needed help was viewed as a sign of personal and professional maturity, while letting a potential problem fester was viewed as a weakness that was not good for the staff, for me or for the client.

Ryan Crane, executive director, NAMI Iowa

It is OK to acknowledge that there is a lot going on in the world right now – many people feel overwhelmed or distracted. Restating the resources you already offer as an employer is a good start, since it is not always top of mind for employees. 

In fact, when employees receive training about mental health and mental health care benefits, they report a 10-point decrease in their worries about being judged if they share about their mental health with colleagues (49% without trainings, 39% with trainings, according to a NAMI/Ipsos poll in 2025). 

Business leaders can also do a lot to reduce stigma by being open in meetings, welcoming vulnerability from your managers and using inclusive language to speak about mental health.