The escalating mental health crisis among America's youth affects families, communities and workplaces. More young people today need care than ever before.
According to recent research from the Evernorth Research Institute, the U.S. has seen a 28% increase in young people with a mental health diagnosis since 2018, and a 48% increase in those with at least two mental health diagnoses. At the same time, parents are struggling to manage the challenges at home and work, while U.S. employers incur over $200 billion annually in behavioral health care costs, which does not account for indirect costs like lost productivity. On average, parents spend almost eight hours a week managing their child's mental health needs, disrupting up to four workdays a month.
We tackle this important topic in our latest episode of "Health Unscripted," where Eva Borden, president of Evernorth Behavioral Health emphasizes the need for U.S. employers to leverage their influence through health insurance, workplace culture, and community engagement to change the crisis trajectory.
This article was created with the assistance of AI tools. It was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by Evernorth’s editorial team and subject matter experts.
