More Workers Taking Mental Health Leave

ComPsych Corporation, a provider of mental health and absence management services, says a new study finds that mental health leaves of absence increased by a third in 2023 over the prior year. This continues a years-long trend: ComPsych data shows that from 2017 to 2023, mental health related leaves of absence have increased a stunning 300%.

This increase has largely been driven by female employees. In 2023 nearly seven in ten (69%) of mental health related leaves of absence were taken by women. Of these, a third (33%) were taken by millennial women, followed by Gen X women who accounted for 30% of mental health related leaves.

“Our data shows that millennial and Gen X women are most likely to need a mental health related leave of absence,” said Dr. Richard A. Chaifetz, Founder, CEO and Chairman of ComPsych. “HR teams must invest in resources and programming that relates to issues commonly faced by these demographics: from the pressures of managing teams, the stress of buying a home for the first time, acclimating back at work as a new parent, or worrying about care for aging relatives.”