Peer Support: Proven to Benefit the Mental Well-being of Your Workforce
Workplace stress impacts 83% of employees (1). In addition to on-the-job stressors, life situations like divorce, caring for an ill family member, or losing a loved one are all part of the human condition. Life stress doesn’t stop when the workday starts.
Employers often struggle with effectively addressing “everyday well-being” challenges on an individual level. Stress is a very personal experience. Everyone copes with it differently, so one-size-fits-many approaches like yoga or meditation classes can fall short of the kind of support individuals need.
Also, managing employees who are dealing with stress can leave some leaders feeling stressed themselves. They might not feel qualified to provide support or have capacity in their busy schedules to take on one more—although important—thing. But research shows having someone to talk to has significant potential to minimize the negative impact of everyday challenges. Enter peer support.
The power of being heard
Peer support connects employees to empathetic peer listeners who’ve had similar experiences.
Neuroscience research shows that healthy, connected conversations trigger positive physical and emotional changes. When a person feels heard, “feel-good” chemicals are delivered to the brain, releasing tension while minimizing negative emotions (2). We literally feel better after we talk, vent, or share our thoughts.
“Peer support has been found to increase hope and the ability to make positive changes in one’s life, improve self-care, create a sense of community and belonging, and increase life satisfaction.”
Easy-access, preclinical peer support plays an important role in the workplace. Here’s how.
Reduces stress.
Highly stressed employees are more likely to miss work or be less engaged in their work (3). Also, more than 70% of employees who typically feel stressed at work say they’re likely to look for a new a job in the next year (4). Of that group, Black and Hispanic respondents are more likely than White adults to seek new employment (57%, 58% and 37% respectively) (3).
Between quitting and distraction, dialing down stress is not only caring, but smart business. The average cost of replacing an employee in the U.S. can be 1.5-2 times the employee’s salary (5).
Peer support is shown to reduce stress and helps people feel like their challenges are understood. (6)
Reduces loneliness.
Stress and loneliness are often intertwined—and neither are good for employees or their workplaces.
Lonely workers are two times more likely to be out due to illness and five times more likely to be absent due to stress. Just like stressed workers, lonely workers admit to being less productive and delivering lower work quality than non-lonely peers. Lonely employees are almost twice as likely to be looking for a new job, too (7).
Peer support allows people to address social isolation and creates a sense of belonging, so they feel less isolated or stigmatized (8).
Demonstrates a commitment to mental health and well-being.
A 2022 Business Group on Health well-being survey showed that 73% of employers indicated mental health as their primary focus in 2022. Mental health program investments are expected to be nearly two times greater in 2023 compared to 2021. In this survey, 83% of respondents said well-being will play a role in their return-to-worksite initiatives (9).
The same survey report identified “social connectedness to colleagues” as being a larger area of focus in terms of well-being strategies, increasing from 67% in 2021 to 81% two years later. This underscores that employers recognize the importance of connection. And with people continuing to work offsite, they may be working alone but they don’t need to feel alone, in part thanks to peer support.
Offering support signals that it’s not only okay to seek help, but is encouraged.
Promotes a “culture of care” across a diverse workforce.
There’s comfort in talking to peers in a couple of ways. First, connected peer conversations shorten the path to understanding. Talking to someone who shares similar experiences makes quick rapport possible. Then there’s the upside of unburdening oneself with someone who listens and understands, who isn’t a co-worker. The employee feels more comfortable. Managers, HR and other colleagues can focus on the work they’re trained for and expected to do. Caring connections are forged without distracting the team.
One-on-one confidential connections help employees reduce stress and loneliness and get back on-track with everyday life—and work.
Peer support is a powerful tool to move people toward improved well-being.
To learn more about peer support for your organization, schedule a demo today.
References
https://www.zippia.com/advice/burnout-statistics
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201211/the-neurochemicals-happiness
https://www.apa.org/topics/healthy-workplaces/mental-health/striving-mental-health-excellence-workplace-guide.pdf
https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/work-well-being/compounding-pressure-2021
https://www.gallup.com/workplace/247391/fixable-problem-costs-businesses-trillion.aspx
https://www.mhanational.org/sites/default/files/Evidence%20for%20Peer%20Support.pdf
https://www.cigna.com/static/www-cigna-com/docs/about-us/newsroom/studies-and-reports/combatting-loneliness/loneliness-and-its-impact-on-the-american-workplace.pdf
Knight EL. Self-Help and Serious Mental Illness. Medscape Gen Med. 2006;8(1):68
https://www.businessgrouphealth.org/en/resources/13th-annual-health-and-well-being-survey
Davidson L, Bellamy C, Guy K, Miller R. Peer support among persons with severe mental illnesses: a review of evidence and experience. World Psychiatry. 2012;11(2):123-128.
