Learn practical steps to improve mental health benefits engagement.
Investment in mental health coverage is a nearly universal standard among U.S. employers, yet many workers still struggle to understand and navigate their behavioral health benefits.
That gap between availability and understanding has significant consequences. When employees are unclear about what services are covered, where to start seeking help, and how much it will cost, they are more likely to delay or forego the care they need, affecting their emotional well-being and productivity at work.
Offering benefits is not enough to close that gap. It also requires increasing mental health benefits literacy, which helps employees recognize when to seek care, choose the right resource, and follow through with confidence. As the designers and promoters of employee benefit plans, employers – and benefits specialists in particular – are uniquely positioned to advance mental health literacy to improve workforce vitality and performance.
What mental health literacy is and why it is a critical foundation for effective benefits utilization and better workforce mental health outcomes.
Employers are offering behavioral health benefits at very high rates, but employees still face significant barriers to using them. One survey found that 97% of employers offer behavioral health care benefits. However, a disconnect exists between what employers believe they offer and what employees believe they have. Research from Evernorth finds that more than a quarter of commercially insured individuals (27%) believe they do not have behavioral health coverage.
For the employees that do know they have mental health coverage, navigating benefits can be challenging. Nearly two‑thirds of consumers (64%) say it’s difficult to know when to use which benefit or solution, and 60% say they need more help understanding what’s covered.
“Employers have expanded access in meaningful ways – but access alone doesn’t guarantee impact,” said Sean Carroll, vice president of Behavioral Health, Cigna Dental & Vision. “If people can’t understand what’s available or how to use it, they’re more likely to delay care at the exact moment they need it most.”
Mental health benefits literacy could help close that gap. In employer benefits, mental health literacy is an employee’s ability to:
- Identify the right entry point – Employee assistance program (EAP) vs. therapy vs. psychiatry vs. digital tools.
- Understand coverage and cost expectations.
- Follow through on care pathways.
“Mental health literacy is not just knowing resources exist,” Carroll said. It’s knowing what to do next, what to expect, and how to move forward with confidence. That’s what turns a benefit into real support.”
The stakes for employers: How literacy gaps affect vitality, well-being, and productivity
Research from The Cigna Group demonstrates a strong link between benefits literacy and higher vitality, which is defined as the ability to live life with health, strength and energy. Adults who report high vitality are significantly more likely to also have high health insurance literacy (48%), compared to just 7% among those with low vitality. This connection extends to overall satisfaction: 74% of employees with high literacy are satisfied with their job benefits, while only 46% of employees with low literacy feel the same.
This relationship is especially important as mental health challenges continue to rise among U.S. workers. In 2022, 4.9 million commercially insured adults ages 18–64 had a diagnosed mental health condition, a 23% increase since 2018. Even more striking, the number of people with two or more diagnoses jumped 43% during the same period. The impact on vitality is clear: adults who report fair or poor mental health have an average vitality score of 48.1, nearly 30 points lower than the 76.9 average for those reporting positive mental health.
These mental health challenges take a toll not only on well-being, but also on workplace productivity and burnout. A 2025 study estimates that employee disengagement and burnout cost employers between $3,999 and $20,683 per employee per year, depending on role, for an average 1,000-person organization. As these challenges become more common, helping employees understand how to use their mental health benefits can help protect both workforce vitality and workplace outcomes.
“When people understand how to access support early, they’re more likely to get the right level of care before challenges escalate,” Carroll said. “That protects vitality and it protects productivity.”
Employer checklist: Practical steps to improve mental health benefits engagement now
1. Simplify the front door
Make it obvious where employees should start. You can work with your benefits provider to:
- Reduce the number of pathways employees must navigate to get help by offering a single “start here” flow that routes employees based on need, urgency, and preferences.
- For example, some organizations opt for an internal resource or site that serves as the front door for benefits navigation.
- These online experiences guide employees to the right benefit (EAP vs. behavioral health benefits vs. digital app).
Why it matters: Fewer choices and clearer direction reduce decision paralysis and delays in care.
2. Make benefits education continuous – not seasonal
Move beyond open enrollment as the primary education moment.
- Reinforce benefits education throughout the year, not just during enrollment periods.
- Deliver short, plain‑language education in formats that are easy to digest.
- Tie education messages to real-life moments such as a new diagnosis, caregiving needs, or financial stress).
- Normalize repetition – benefits literacy builds over time, not all at once.
Why it matters: Confusion about when and how to use benefits is persistent. Ongoing, relevant education increases engagement before problems escalate.
3. Equip managers – without turning them into clinicians
Help managers support employees without asking them to diagnose or advise.
- Train managers to recognize when and how to guide employees to the right resources (some EAPs offer such training).
- Provide simple guidance on reducing stigma and reinforcing confidentiality.
- Normalize benefit use as appropriate and encouraged. Managers can set an example by sharing their own experience of using behavioral health benefits.
- Focus manager training on conversation and connection, not clinical expertise.
Why it matters: Workforce strain and capacity limits make smart internal routing more important than ever. Managers often unlock action by creating psychological safety, not by having all the answers.
4. Reframe mental health benefits around productivity, not just well-being
Connect benefits to outcomes employees care about.
- Position mental health support as tools for focus, resilience, and sustained performance.
- Frame caregiving benefits as productivity and stability supports.
- Tie preventive care to fewer disruptions for work and life in general.
Why it matters: Employees are more likely to engage in their benefits when they better understand the value they will get from using them.
5. Personalize communications
Use different communication mediums for different employee groups and their dependents.
- Segment communications by life stage (early career, family‑building, caregiving, pre‑retirement) and job cycles (tax season for finance, etc.).
- Segment by usage patterns (high utilizers vs. non‑users).
- Tailor messaging so employees see themselves reflected in the content.
Why it matters: Even light personalization signals relevance and reduces message fatigue.
6. Treat benefits like a product experience – not just an HR program
Apply consumer‑grade design and usability standards.
- Audit benefits communications for jargon and reading level.
- Redesign touchpoints with a “one action per message” approach.
- Replace dense PDFs with scannable formats such as checklists, short videos, or decision trees.
- Use consistent naming, visuals, and cues so benefits feel familiar and easy to recognize.
Why it matters: Employees engage more when benefits feel intuitive, approachable, and designed for real people, not business policies.
A clear employer call to action
When employees struggle to navigate available support, care is often delayed, problems compound, and the return on benefits investment falls short. Clarity accelerates action, and earlier action leads to better outcomes.
For employers, the opportunity is less about expanding benefits than making existing offerings easier to access. Organizations that are making progress treat mental health benefits as an operating system – designed intentionally, communicated continuously, and adjusted based on how employees actually use them. This approach helps turn complexity into direction and availability into utilization.
“As mental health needs rise across the workforce, literacy becomes a strategic lever,” Carroll said. “Employers that simplify access and guide employees decisively to the right level of care will see faster engagement, stronger vitality, and more resilient performance. Making benefits easier to use is not incremental. It’s essential.”
