Merrilee Logue, Executive Director of the National Labor Office (NLO) at Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), and Dr. Ruthie Fesahazion-Fortune, Project Director for Clinical Affairs at BCBSA, discuss the mental health crisis facing American workers. In this episode of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast, they explore common mental health challenges, workplace impacts and BCBSA’s strategies to address these issues.
Logue began by stating that mental health encompasses emotional, psychological and social well-being, and impacts how people think, feel and act. One in five adults currently experiences a mental health condition, with many lacking access to necessary treatment. Meanwhile, labor groups face specific challenges, including stress from high-pressure environments, anxiety related to job security, depression from long hours and burnout from physical and emotional exhaustion. Fesahazion-Fortune explained that the issues created by poor mental health could significantly impact workplace productivity, absenteeism and overall employee well-being.
Meanwhile, the mental health stigma remains a significant barrier, with approximately 8 in 10 workers feeling shame about their mental health state. Fesahazion-Fortune explained that this stigma often prevents individuals from seeking treatment and can lead to feelings of low self-esteem and isolation. Adding that young professionals are particularly affected, with more than half reporting a need for help with emotional or mental health problems in the past year. Despite the clear need, Logue said that over 70 percent of employers believe offering additional mental health benefits is too costly, highlighting a disconnect between leadership's understanding and the needs of the workforce.
To address these mental health challenges, Fesahazion-Fortune said that Blue Cross Blue Shield companies are using three main pillars: improving access to quality and affordable care; reducing stigma by creating a culture of addressing health; and addressing youth mental health. She said between 2019 and 2023, they increased their network of behavioral health providers by 55 percent, now offering over 450,000 providers across all 50 states. Fesahazion-Fortune added that all Blue Cross Blue Shield companies offer virtual behavioral health programs, further expanding access to resources for those in need.
Listen to the full episode for more insights on mental health in the workplace and NLO and BCBSA’s work to address the mental health needs of the union workforce.
America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.
America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers.
