507%: Study Shows Behavioral Health Benefits’ ROI Potential

As organizations face mounting pressure to support workforce well-being while managing benefit costs, a recent independent analysis showed the degree to which behavioral health offerings can benefit employers and their employees.

The Return on Investment and Clinical Outcomes study was conducted by the Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI), in conjunction with mental health and absence management services firm ComPsych. IBI analyzed two years of deidentified ComPsych program data to determine the findings, which underscored the business value of employee assistance programs (EAPs) and mental health services in curbing the long-term impacts of chronic workplace stress and medical leave.

One of the research’s top outputs was that when employers provide behavioral health treatment programs as part of their employee rewards, the annual return to the organization is 507% — or slightly more than $6 for every $1 invested. IBI said three primary factors drive these returns:

• Healthcare cost reduction. The avoidance of pricy emergency room visits, lower prescription costs and an overall decrease in fixed medical spend typical work to bring costs down for employers and their employees.
• Disability cost avoidance. Early intervention and treatment of behavioral health needs can prevent the escalation of severe disability claims.
• Productivity improvements. Employees exposed to such services spend more days at work and demonstrate better focus while on the job. On average:
  • 76% of employees who engaged in services were less often absent from work.
  • 47% showed reduced impairment at work (fewer instances of presenteeism).

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The research called out the potential positive outcomes for employees who participate in employer-sponsored behavioral health programs:

• 63% of workers in the study achieved reliable improvement in depression.
• 73% achieved reliable improvement in anxiety.

“The clinical outcomes for depression and anxiety are not small or incremental changes,” said Jennifer Birdsall, ComPsych’s chief clinical officer. “They show genuine clinical improvement for employees who need it most.”

Editor’s Note: Additional Content

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