Supporting mental health among our employees, communities and customers

One out of every two people in the world will develop a mental health disorder sometime during their lifetime, according to a study co-led by Harvard Medical School and the University of Queensland. Yet around the world, fewer than 30% of people get the mental health treatment they need, according to an article in the American Journal of Public Health. The most common reasons people don’t seek care are stigma, lack of access, and a misunderstanding about how mental health care can help.

At Cardinal Health, our mission is to improve the lives of people every day, and that’s why we are focused on eliminating stigma, expanding access to resources, and increasing education. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we are highlighting some of the ways we are increasing access to mental health care for our employees, our communities, and our customers.

Our employees

“Supporting our employees’ mental health is the right thing to do; we want to help ensure that our employees can thrive,” said Cardinal Health Chief Human Resources Officer Ola Snow. “It’s all about our focus on building a workplace where everyone can be their authentic selves. There’s also a strong business case, as studies show that promoting good mental health in the workplace can help improve productivity and decrease absenteeism.” The U.S. economic burden of mental health issues is more than $280 billion a year, according to the Columbia Business School, and most of this cost is the result of lost productivity.

At Cardinal Health, we are intentional about building an inclusive work culture where it’s okay to talk about NOT being okay, Snow explained, encouraging employees at all levels to talk openly about how they’re feeling. We provide guidance to leaders on how to raise the subject with their teams – because talking about mental health is one of the best ways to eliminate stigma. “We encourage our leaders to demonstrate that it’s perfectly okay to talk about mental health and to share things that are going on in their own lives,” Snow said.

To help increase employees’ comfort in talking about these issues, over the past several years we’ve focused on increasing opportunities for training. All U.S. employees have access to Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training that teaches participants to identify, understand and respond to mental health and substance use challenges. In response to an increase in employees’ dependents behavioral health claims, we’ve recently added an MHFA training focused specifically on helping youth who are struggling with mental health issues.

Employees also can take Question. Persuade. Refer. (QPR) training to learn to recognize the warning signs when someone has suicidal thoughts and to offer hope and direct the person to appropriate help.

Resources: Our new employee assistance program (EAP) provider, SupportLinc, helps ensure that employees and their family members can receive the care they need when they need it. The EAP matches people with culturally-competent providers who practice evidence-based treatment, have verified availability and participate in their benefit plan network.

Employees also have free access to Headspace, an evidence-based meditation and mindfulness app – and can share that free access with up to five friends and family members. Headspace can help with stress, anxiety, sleep, focus, fitness, financial planning and more. Through mental health coaching, therapy and psychiatry, it can help users to establish life-changing habits to improve mental health.

Our communities

We are also deeply committed to the communities where our employees live and work. “We strive to build healthier communities where everyone has the opportunity to thrive,” said Jessie Cannon, president of the Cardinal Health Foundation. “Supporting good mental health beyond our four walls is key.”

Experts know that resiliency is essential to mental health, helping us to thrive in life, with family and friends, and at work. However, current understanding of resiliency is limited; gaining deeper insights could be crucial for addressing mental health issues and improving treatment options.

That is why we recently donated $1 million to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center to support its new Center for Psychiatry and Resilience. The center provides clinical services and conducts extensive research to better understand mental illness and addiction, with the ultimate goal of developing practical strategies that help prevent mental health disorders, support recovery and build resilience.

Dr. K. Luan Phan, MD, chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health and its Center for Psychiatry and Resilience, said, “Mental health is complex and pervasive; it will take all of us playing a part to develop these strategies. That includes not only medical centers and clinics, but individuals, families and those in the workplace.”

Cannon added, “We believe that the long-term impact of the Center’s work will help build resilience in Ohioans and in people around the globe, and help protect them from the worst impacts of mental health issues.”

Additionally, as part of OSU’s efforts to broaden the community conversation about mental health, the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health partnered with other organizations and private funders (including Cardinal Health), to present a Columbus Harmony Project concert in early May, focused on mental health and the healing power of the arts.

The concert featured 1,000 singers from across Ohio. Throughout the concert, videos shared how the chorus came together over just a few months and showcased stories from participants.

“Being in the audience was such a moving experience,” said Cannon, a Harmony Project board director. “The concert demonstrated the ways music and other art forms can foster mental health and strengthen connections among all of us.”

Hosting business leader conversations: Earlier this year, Cardinal Health and the Ohio Business Roundtable (OBRT) hosted a group of Ohio CEOs at our headquarters in Dublin, Ohio, to discuss the mental health challenges facing workforces and communities. (The OBRT is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization of Ohio business leaders committed to improving the state’s economic vitality.) This is the second such convening we’ve hosted with the OBRT.

The business leaders spoke about some of the ongoing efforts to support Ohioans struggling with mental health issues and several shared personal stories about how their own families, friends, and colleagues have been impacted by mental health issues. 

Also joining the conversation were LeeAnne Cornyn, Director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OHMAS) and Judith L. French, Director of the Ohio Department of Insurance, who shared data about the prevalence of mental health issues among Ohio’s population, as well as its costs to communities and employers.

“As these conversations revealed, mental health issues impact people in myriad ways,” said Cannon, who helped organize the event. “Nearly everyone – our employees and colleagues, our friends and families, and people throughout our communities – is affected by a mental health issue or supporting a loved one with a mental health issue.”

Our customers

Patients know their community pharmacists as highly trusted, accessible healthcare providers and more and more, people with mental health issues are turning to pharmacists for help.

Last October, the Cardinal Health Foundation and the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) Innovation Center announced a new partnership to provide funding and scholarships for pharmacists to attend mental health first aid training, and a series of webinars developed by the Innovation Center that pharmacists and their teams can attend live or on-demand.

The trainings provide perspectives on how to help identify possible mental health concerns, help foster healthy conversations about such concerns, and emphasize the importance of listening and providing guidance and direction.

To date, nearly 40 pharmacists have completed the mental health first aid training, and more than 200 pharmacists have participated in educational webinars, including “Stop the stigma: Effective communications with persons with serious and persistent mental illness in the pharmacy setting,” “Beyond burnout: Mastering self-care and stress resilience within your pharmacy team,” and “Reclaim your mind: Strategies for improving mental fitness and well-being.”

The Innovation Center also has created a page on its website with all of the mental health resources it makes available to pharmacists, including information on the mental health first aid training and webinars.

At Cardinal Health, we know that mental health is health, and we continue to expand the resources we provide, help increase access, and encourage frequent, open conversations about mental health among our employees, our communities and our customers.

-note: If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, immediate and nonjudgmental help is available by calling or texting 988.