More and more companies recognize the importance of mental health. In recent years, stress, exhaustion and mental illness have become one of the most common causes of incapacity to work. According to an analysis by DAK, absences due to mental illness rose by around 48 percent between 2012 and 2022 alone. As a first reaction, many employers today offer faster access to psychotherapy, whether through company health insurance, placement platforms or external EAP service providers. What is well-intentioned falls short, however.
Because mental health in companies is much more than the availability of clinical care. The challenges don't just start with a diagnosis of depression or burnout. Rather, mental stress often develops gradually and has an effect on motivation, productivity and teamwork long before it becomes clinically relevant. It is precisely these early signals that organizations must recognize and address if they want to strategically anchor mental health. A pure focus on treatment offers starts too late and often attacks those affected with the implicit accusation that they are “ill.”
Instead, a company-wide understanding is needed: Mental health is a joint task — preventive, de-stigmatizing and integrated into the organization.
There is no doubt that easier access to psychotherapeutic help is a step forward. Long waiting times for treatment places were and are a serious problem in the German healthcare system: According to an analysis by the Federal Chamber of Psychotherapists, it takes an average of 20 weeks from the first request to the start of a health insurance financed psychotherapy. Many companies are responding to this gap with useful additional services such as an intermediary platform, EAP offers or even company health insurance (BKV), which promises faster help.
But as important as this step is, it falls short if it is seen as the sole solution to the issue of mental health in the company. This is because the majority of psychological stress in the workplace remains below the clinical threshold at which psychotherapy would even be effective. Stress, excessive demands, latent conflicts or private burdens have long since had a negative effect on motivation, cooperation and productivity — without therapy being indicated or even being used at all.
Effective mental wellbeing management must therefore take a broader approach: It is not just about securing an emergency, but also identifying it earlier before mental problems escalate. This is achieved with an intelligent, low-threshold infrastructure that sees mental health as a continuous factor of working capacity and corporate performance.
A platform like mentalport comes in right here: With anonymous access, preventive checks, personalized coaching and legally compliant mandatory instruments such as psychological risk assessment (GBU Psyche). The goal: operationalize mental health as a management task — instead of leaving it solely to the personal responsibility of those affected.
There is no doubt that easier access to psychotherapeutic help is a step forward. Long waiting times for treatment places were and are a serious problem in the German healthcare system: According to an analysis by the Federal Chamber of Psychotherapists, it takes an average of 20 weeks from the first request to the start of a health insurance financed psychotherapy. Many companies are responding to this gap with useful additional benefits, such as company health insurance (BKV), which promises faster help.
But as important as this step is, it falls short if it is seen as the sole solution to the issue of mental health in the company. This is because the majority of psychological stress in the workplace remains below the clinical threshold at which psychotherapy would even be effective. Stress, excessive demands, latent conflicts or private burdens have long since had a negative effect on motivation, cooperation and productivity — without therapy being indicated or even being used at all.
According to a representative survey by the German Depression Aid Foundation, around 80 percent of employees with mental health problems have no clinically relevant diagnosis. These people suffer from persistent pressure, lack of energy, concentration problems or sleep disorders — symptoms that not only reduce their own quality of life, but also put a strain on the working environment. They are often not ill enough for therapy, but too stressed to develop their full potential in a working context.
At the same time, many also shy away from taking a step into psychotherapy out of fear of stigmatization and professional disadvantages. A survey commissioned by pronova BKK shows: 48 percent of employees would not discuss mental health problems with their employer out of concern that they are considered less resilient. There is also a factual risk: Anyone who undergoes psychotherapeutic treatment has permanently recorded this information in their medical records, which may have an impact on professional careers or the conclusion of insurance.
As a result, a significant portion of the workforce falls through the grid of conventional care models. Companies that want to take mental health seriously must address this “blind spot.” They need a low-threshold, stigmatization-free and confidential structure that makes mental stress identified at an early stage and effectively addresses it before it escalates or becomes visible during sick leave.
Even if employees experience clinically relevant psychological distress, this does not automatically mean that they are seeking therapy. Many are afraid to take the step out of concern about social stigmatization, professional disadvantages or long-term consequences for their medical records. In Germany, a psychotherapeutic diagnosis is considered part of the medical history and can have a negative impact on civil service, private health insurance, incapacity or certain safety-related occupations, for example. These real or perceived imminent consequences mean that even acutely stressed people delay or completely avoid help.
In addition, there is a pronounced uncertainty in dealing with psychological stress: According to a study by Pronova BKK from 2022, 48% of respondents say they have already refrained from medical treatment because they feared disadvantages in their job. Younger workers are even more reluctant. It turns out that even where help is offered, it remains inaccessible to many because fear of the consequences prevails.
There is also a structural problem: According to the OECD, only around every second person with a clinically relevant mental illness in Europe receives treatment — in Germany, the treatment rate is around 52%. Conversely, this means that almost half of all people with serious mental health problems remain untreated. Not least because of the barriers mentioned above.
At the same time, the majority of psychological stress in companies is below the clinical threshold. Studies such as the BPTK indicator project show: More than two thirds of employees experience prolonged stress, emotional exhaustion or interpersonal conflicts without a manifest disorder. It is precisely for this target group that the traditional pension system lacks effective and low-threshold offers. Therapy would not be formally indicated, but the risk of incapacity for work, absenteeism or internal dismissal is real.
The result: Companies must assume responsibility before the situation escalates. You don't just need a curative solution, but a systematic, preventive infrastructure for mental health. This means: anonymous access, early analysis of burdens, continuous support through digital tools and coaching, and clear relief for HR and managers. This is the only way to create an environment in which mental health is no longer taboo — and in which employees feel supported rather than stigmatized.
When employees are psychologically stressed, it is rarely just due to individual weaknesses or a lack of resilience. Rather, it is structural conditions linked to private challenges that make people ill: unrealistic goals, lack of autonomy, unclear responsibilities, overtime culture, lack of leadership, or the lack of an appreciative working environment. Studies such as the DAK Health Report or the IGA Report surveys clearly show that psychological stress results primarily from working conditions — in addition, there are private challenges.
The problem: Many mental health services are still aimed at the individual. Resilience training, mindfulness apps or relaxation exercises start at the last point in the chain of effects. They can be helpful when they're part of a larger system — but fall short when they're alone. It is not effective to teach employees to breathe while they are being put under structural pressure in everyday working life.
Operational responsibility lies in systemically acting on the causes. This means identifying psychological risks, making structural burdens visible, engaging in dialogue with employees and implementing targeted measures at organizational, team and management levels. Only if companies start here will there be real effectiveness and mental health will not become a private matter for individuals, but a management and cultural task.
A systemic approach recognizes that mental wellbeing is more than avoiding illness. It is a strategic prerequisite for productivity, innovative strength and long-term employee retention.
Most companies react to psychological stress when it is already too late: Employees take sick leave, resign internally or leave the work process altogether. It has long been proven that preventive, structured measures for mental well-being not only prevent suffering, but are also significantly more effective economically than purely reactive offers.
What companies need is a mental wellbeing infrastructure that systematically, holistically and continuously integrates mental health. This structure doesn't just start with therapy — it starts first: with anonymous checks, systematic early detection, digitally supported coaching offers, management training on psychological safety and a governance structure that brings together HR, works council and leadership.
Such an infrastructure is not only more efficient, but also more inclusive: It also reaches employees who otherwise fall through the cracks. Be it due to cultural reservations, reduced awareness of the problem, or fear of stigmatization. At the same time, it relieves HR teams and managers by taking responsibility for implementing measures and meeting compliance requirements. For example, with regard to psychological risk assessment in accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act or ESG reporting requirements.
In addition, a structured infrastructure allows real impact measurement for the first time: Companies can see how mental health develops over time, how effective certain interventions are and how high the ROI of preventive measures actually is. Especially in the age of ESG reporting and a growing shortage of skilled workers, this is becoming a strategic management task.
In short: Anyone who takes mental health seriously acts at system level. Individual offerings are no longer enough — a holistic architecture that brings together health, productivity and cultural change is needed.
The results from companies that have already embarked on this path show that a holistic mental wellbeing infrastructure doesn't just work on paper. The implementation of structured mental health measures is measurably effective both from the perspective of employees and from the perspective of corporate management.
This is how internal evaluations from the mentalPORT environment show:
There are also qualitative effects: Employees report increased self-efficacy, more clarity in everyday life and a new openness in dealing with burdens. Managers, in turn, gain the opportunity not only to identify psychological risks, but also to counteract them in a targeted manner through reports, pulse checks and systemic support. Before sick leave or internal dismissal occur.
These figures and experiences show that mental health pays off. Economically, culturally and humanly. But this requires more than selective offers or individual initiatives. What is needed is a professional structure that is seamlessly integrated into everyday business life. But without stigmatizing labels, with clear effectiveness and concrete benefits for everyone involved.
Managers and company managers play a central role in the development of a healthy corporate culture. The good news: If you take targeted action today, you can not only strengthen the mental well-being of the workforce, but also reduce turnover, reduce medical costs and increase employer attractiveness.
A central tool for this is the GBU Psyche (psychosocial risk assessment). It is not only a mandatory legal process, but, when properly set up, offers a strategic management tool for healthy working conditions and sustainable corporate management. The aim is to identify psychological stress at an early stage before it solidifies or leads to clinical illnesses.
It is crucial not to see the GBU Psyche as an isolated project or compulsory task, but to transfer it into a systematic mental wellbeing framework based on prevention, de-stigmatization and continuous improvement.
This includes:
The success lies not in implementing individual measures once, but in building a sustainable infrastructure for mental wellbeing. Companies that take this path benefit from more resilient teams, better collaboration, and a culture in which people can thrive.
Therapy offerings are important. But they take effect too late when companies only address mental stress when employees have already become clinically noticeable. Anyone who assumes responsibility today not only provides individual assistance, but also establishes an infrastructure that makes mental health broadly accessible, reduces stigma and absorbs psychological stress early on — before it escalates.
Organizations that see mental wellbeing not as a side issue but as a strategic task benefit in two ways: They strengthen the resilience, productivity and satisfaction of employees — and at the same time reduce turnover, medical costs and occupational safety risks.
Getting started on this path is easier than many think. With a non-binding mental health audit, we provide you with a well-founded assessment of your position — and show you how you can achieve maximum impact with minimal effort.
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