The TELUS Mental Health Index finds that one in three workers in the U.S. want better control over their health for overall better well-being, while one in five want better control over their emotions. Nearly one in four (23%) workers reported having full control over their health. The mental health score of this group (79.9) is 10 points higher than the national average.
The Index also found that 12% of workers have left or plan to leave their job for better benefits. The mental health score of workers who have left or plan to leave for better benefits is 58.7, more than 10 points below the national average.
More control over personal health leads to better mental health. The 25% of workers who reported feeling some control over their emotions have a mental health score of 53.9, whereas the 2% of workers who feel they have no control over their emotions have a score of 36.7.
Workers under 40 are three times more likely than workers over 50 to report having no control over their emotions. One in four workers (26%) have taken medication for a mental health issue. Nearly half (45%) of workers who have taken prescription medication for mental health issues have needed to try more than one type or dosage. Twenty-nine percent reported it took more than a year to arrive at effective treatment.
“Counseling is effective in helping people take control of their mental health concerns, but in certain cases, people may require medication as well. We need to focus on making sure that people have the right medication at the right time with medication consultation and tools, such as pharmacogenomic testing, to help practitioners more closely match the medication to the person’s physical make-up,” reports Paula Allen, health global leader, research and client insights of TELUS. “Think about the impact that we could have by shortening the time it takes to get to the right medication. With one in three people needing to try different medications over a course of a year or more, it is clear that a more personalized science-based approach can reduce prolonged emotional angst and lost productivity and can help them regain a sense of control over their emotions.”
Click here to view the full findings from the U.S. TELUS Mental Health Index report
