Employers Struggle to Engage Workers with Digital Mental Health Solutions
Employers are increasingly recognizing the critical need for comprehensive mental health support, yet effectively engaging employees with digital solutions remains a significant hurdle. This challenge was a central theme during a panel discussion at the Behavioral Health Tech conference in San Diego, where industry leaders explored common pitfalls and strategies for successful implementation.
A key question posed by Paul Wilson, Editor in Chief of BenefitsPro, centered on the biggest mistakes companies make when introducing these digital tools and how to avoid them.
One prominent issue, according to a mental health leader at WTW, is a tendency toward reactive implementation. This was particularly prevalent during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, leading many organizations to deploy solutions without first assessing whether they truly aligned with the needs of their workforce.
“You need to look internally to see what data points you have and information that tells you that a solution like that is going to be well adopted or well used,” a senior official stated. “That is the first step to understanding: is this the right thing to do and cutting across the right parts of the population that we need?” She emphasized that achieving 100% adoption is unrealistic, but employers must determine a reasonable benchmark based on their investment and goals.
Another common misstep is simply mirroring the approaches of competitors. While seemingly efficient, this strategy often fails to resonate with a company’s unique employee base. A tailored approach, informed by internal data, is crucial for maximizing impact.
Beyond selection, communication and awareness are frequently lacking. “If you put something in, people don’t just know that,” one panelist explained. “They don’t have a crystal ball, they can’t read minds. So if they don’t have access to that, either in physical locations, on a website, easiness of consumability and use, they’re just not going to find it, and that’s going to prevent any of that use and adoption.”
The concept of a “digital front door” – a single access point for multiple digital health solutions – also came under scrutiny. Chris Carey, senior vice president and general manager of Calm Health, challenged the assumption that employees will consistently utilize this centralized entry point.
Carey illustrated the point with a relatable analogy: “I’m guessing it might be [that] your kids went in the door off the garage, you drove in the garage, the salesperson showed up at the front door, and your neighbors came in the side door. I think for a long time in healthcare, especially digital healthcare, we have tried to build front doors and assumed everybody’s gonna walk in that front door.”
He argued that individuals seek solutions when and where they need them. “I think the biggest thing that has failed is people are gonna go in the door that they need at that moment,” Carey continued. “We need to make sure we build a well-constructed house, and if somebody comes into Calm for mental health, but then we find out that they have back pain, and that employer has access to Sword or Hinge, I need to figure out how I get them there. Because I think we’ve seen that front doors just don’t work.”
Ultimately, successful implementation of digital mental health solutions requires a data-driven, employee-centric approach, coupled with robust communication and a flexible, integrated ecosystem of care.
Photo credit: Olga Strelnikova, Getty Images
