Under the Family and Medical Leave Act, mental health coverage is a “guarantee.” But in reality, a recent study found that 80% of people surveyed with employer-provided health insurance said they left the network to receive mental health care; The reason is that there is insufficient insurance. But at what cost?
My mental health journey has been a bumpy one, but it started with my pregnancy. My difficult and unexpected experiences as a mother are not unique. In fact, many women (and men) end up facing mental health issues from their first parenting experience. But not all of them are as fortunate as I was to be given a personal and professional support system. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month in May, my story will inspire more companies to better meet the needs of their employees as they grapple with an under-discussed mental health challenge: motherhood in the workplace. I hope that it will be.
my motherhood journey
A month after finding out I was pregnant, I became very ill.I felt nauseous all time. Severe headache and general weakness. Then things got even worse. The following month, I was completely bedridden. After I lost 25 pounds, my doctor classified me as “high risk” and diagnosed me with hyperemesis gravidarum. Hyperemesis gravidarum refers to intractable vomiting during pregnancy, which affects fewer than 200,000 women annually in the United States.
At this point I was still trying to work. I thought a remote work environment (which was the case from 2021 to 2022) would allow me to work without leaving my bed, but this approach came at a huge cost. It was time to take a vacation and it was a very difficult decision for me.
I spent the rest of my pregnancy at home learning how to survive this condition. First came the need for home nurses. Then medication— many of medicine. Then 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Fortunately, it worked, I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, and my entire family breathed a sigh of relief. The hard part was over, or so we thought.
My problems didn’t go away. I struggled to breastfeed, my mental health continued to deteriorate, and I was diagnosed with postpartum anxiety and depression. Even though I had the best support system, I felt alone, scared, and defeated. At what is considered the pinnacle of my life, becoming a first-time mother, I was honestly at my lowest point.
Matters related to mental health policy
I’m sharing this for two main reasons. First, this is a common experience that companies should always keep in mind. Although the symptoms I experienced are rare, anxiety, depression, and feelings of loneliness are not. According to the National Institutes of Health, as many as 20% of women claim to suffer from postpartum depression, and as many as 85% say they experience postpartum blues. While some company policies may offer screenings and resources to help new parents navigate these life changes, many do not.For both women as society continues to prioritize mental health issues and Men, it’s time to take out your pens and update your policies to reflect these changes.
Second, even if new parents physically return to work, they are not 100% able to do so. I spent 14 months after my son’s birth in therapy, healing, and learning how to be a mother. Physically, I returned to work, but mentally there were still days when I couldn’t reach my full potential. There’s a lot going on behind the scenes, and even with the best insurance coverage, continuing treatment can burn a hole in your wallet. Approximately 78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and the financial strain does not help stabilize employees’ mental health.
One in four people now quit their job because of clear mental health-related reasons, and one in five say their company is not doing enough to address mental health. Masu.
Shortly before the maternal health roller coaster began, I was tasked with updating my company’s maternal health care policy. I work for Manulife, a global insurance and asset management company, and am part of the human resources team, so I have a particular affinity for the policies that companies have to offer. However, many people reading this may not, and often forget that the policies that companies create and manage can have a significant impact on the employees they serve. .You never know when your company’s policies may be affected your life-Especially when, like me, you helped produce them.
I happen to work for a company that understands the importance of mental health to the overall productivity, happiness, and success of its employees. I strongly encourage all parent companies to work with their human resources representatives to take a closer look at their company’s benefits and mental health coverage. The cost to your business of sitting around doing nothing may quickly become too great.
Jennifer Young is a Global Human Resources Business Solutions Consultant at Manulife, where she streamlines HR tools and technology to improve the employee experience. She is currently getting used to her life as a working mother.
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