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Rates of unmet mental health needs among employed California workers increased after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, reports a paper in the August Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.  

Workers in certain industries and demographic groups have had greater increases in unmet mental health needs, according to the new research by Kathryn Gibb, MPH, and colleagues of the California Department of Public Health. They analyzed data from employed respondents to the annual California Health Interview Survey from 2013 to 2021.

In 2021, 23.4% of workers reported perceived mental health needs or moderate to severe psychological distress for which they did not seek care—a 3.9% increase from 2019. However, after adjustment for pre-pandemic trends, the prevalence of unmet mental health needs was lower than expected.

Workers in the information industries had the largest relative increase in unmet mental health needs: nearly two times higher then expected from pre-pandemic trends. Workers aged 65 years or older also showed a significant increase: 27% higher than predicted.

Other groups with high and rising rates of unmet mental health needs included workers in professional and scientific, management, and administrative occupations, as well as women and disabled workers.

"Pandemic conditions may have exacerbated unmet mental health needs among these worker groups," the researchers write.

The study is the first to examine changes in unmet mental health needs in the general working population since the start of the pandemic.

"Understanding unmet mental health needs can inform opportunities for prevention and early intervention of mental health issues before they become severe," Ms. Gibb and coauthors conclude. "Continued investment in accessible and comprehensive mental health services will be critical to promoting mental well-being among workers."
 
About the Author 
Ms. Gibb may be contacted for interviews at media(at)cdph.ca.gov.