Originally published in Forbes EQ

Written by Rachael Steimnitz, NAMI-NYC’s Director of Workplace Mental Health, and Alayna Auerbach, NAMI-NYC’s Manager of Workplace Mental Health

In recent years, employers have significantly enhanced mental health benefits, driven by employee demand and a growing recognition of its importance to overall wellness and organizational performance. Despite these expanded benefits, utilization remains strikingly low, indicating not all employers see a return on their investment and not all employees receive adequate care. The vast underutilization of mental health resources provided by employers highlights a persistent stigma; many workplaces still view discussing mental health at work as a risk rather than a normal, healthy practice. This stigma prevents employees from leveraging the support available to them.

Understanding workplace stigma

Workplace stigma regarding mental health is a complex and pervasive issue that often operates subtly within company culture. It appears in conversations and seemingly benign comments that perpetuate harmful stereotypes. Consider these real-world scenarios that we hear as part of our work at the National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City (NAMI-NYC)’s Workplace Mental Health Initiative that illustrate how stigma manifests in everyday work environments. For privacy, all names have been changed.

• John overhears his team talking about “the psychos on the subway talking to themselves,” a comment that hits close to home since two of his close family members live with schizophrenia. This type of language, casually thrown around in the workplace, creates an unsafe environment for those directly or indirectly affected by mental health issues. Despite his discomfort, John chooses silence over speaking out, fearing that he might be labeled unstable or overly sensitive.
• Sarah feels overwhelmed and knows she needs professional help but decides against scheduling therapy appointments because they are only available during work hours. She worries that taking time off for mental health could lead her to be perceived as less capable, potentially costing her high-profile job assignments and damaging her professional reputation.
• Tom worries about being perceived by his colleagues as weak. His office culture prizes long hours, and even leaving on time draws negative comments like his manager’s joke about him taking a “half day.” This reinforces a culture where overwork is normalized, and self-care is mocked or viewed as unnecessary.
• Shirley lives with generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder, which have previously been so challenging that she has been unable to leave her house for weeks. She now manages her symptoms, lives in recovery, and is thriving. However, at her new job, she constantly hears phrases that trivialize her experiences, such as “I’m so anxious that my favorite sports team is going to lose,” and “The ending of that movie was depressing.”

These examples underscore a workplace culture that subtly but powerfully reinforces stigma. Such environments lead employees to delay seeking treatment, isolate, and become less engaged at work.

Many individuals with mental health challenges face internalized stigma and shame. If employees see that their managers never take vacation days or have only heard of the Employee Assistance Program in relation to performance management issues, they absorb cues that taking time off and seeking help is a sign of weakness. One study found that individuals living with serious mental illness with higher education levels engaged more actively with their treatment when faced with actual stigma but showed poorer engagement when dealing with self-stigma, demonstrating how damaging self-stigma is. The researchers’ possible explanation for this is that higher educated individuals were better able to resist external false, harmful stigmatizing messages (such as all people living with mental illness are violent) but more likely to place a high value on their professional success, thus leading to a decreased sense of self-worth, demotivation, and disengagement from treatment.

By acknowledging these dynamics and actively working to change how we talk about mental health in the workplace, organizations foster a more inclusive environment. This change starts with recognizing the subtle ways stigma is perpetuated and taking concrete steps to promote a healthier, more empathetic workplace culture.

Focusing on recovery

Language plays a critical role in either reinforcing stigma or breaking it down. Historically, shifts in terminology within various fields, including healthcare and social services, have led to significant changes in public perception and policy. For instance, moving from terms like “chronic mental illness” and “serious and persistent mental illness” to “serious mental illness” reflects a more nuanced understanding of these conditions as manageable rather than intractable, emphasizing the possibility of recovery.

In the workplace, similar shifts in language create more supportive environments in which employees feel comfortable expressing their mental health challenges and accessing resources for support. Below are suggestions for implementing these ideas.

1. Promote recovery and resilience: People living with mental illnesses can thrive and live meaningful, productive lives. Share success stories and testimonials about managing mental health to inspire hope and encourage others to seek help. Highlight positive statistics around recovery and stories from employees in internal communications, such as newsletters and town halls, to normalize mental health discussions and demonstrate organizational support for mental health resources. Research shows more people use mental health benefits when leaders talk openly about mental health and when they hear colleagues use them.
2. Use person-first language: Place the person before the mental health condition, such as “person with schizophrenia” instead of “schizophrenic” and “person living with substance use disorder” instead of “addict.” This respects the individual as a person first and emphasizes that an individual’s condition does not define their entire identity. It also increases knowledge that mental illnesses are treatable medical conditions, not signs of a personal failure. Refer to the America Psychological Association’s bias-free language guide.
3. Challenge stereotypes: Simple changes in everyday language, such as replacing “that’s crazy” with “that’s wild,” significantly alters the tone and inclusivity of workplace communication. Ensure mental health communications and images show positive, hopeful interactions, rather than isolating, sorrowful images. Avoid language that implies suffering or victimhood, such as referring to someone as “suffering from” a mental illness; instead, describe them as “managing” or “living with” their condition. Refer to the American Psychological Association’s inclusive language guide.
4. Reframe harmful messaging: Avoid generalizations such as “we all get stressed,” which diminishes the experiences of those struggling with more severe or chronic conditions and undermines the reality that stress causes mental and physical health issues. Instead, recognize the impact of stress and provide support tailored to individual needs to promote mental health for all.

By intentionally choosing words and the stories we share, we transform workplace cultures to be more supportive of mental health. This July, for Disability Pride Month, let’s commit to shifting the narrative around mental health at work by integrating respectful, inclusive, and recovery-oriented communication practices. This commitment not only benefits individuals with mental health conditions but also enhances the productivity and well-being of the entire workforce, and in turn creates communities which foster positive mental health for all.