Workplace Mental Health Trends That Defined 2025
- Mind Share Partners
- 1 hour ago
- 6 min read
By: Bernie Wong, Movement Building & Research Lead
Workplace Mental Health Trends That Defined 2025
Workplace mental health is at a crossroads. In one respect, employers and workers alike have come a long way. Mental health has become—and remains—a top priority with many employers increasing investments in mental health resources and workers engaging in awareness and education efforts.
Mental health issues have become near universal and mental health-related work leaves are up 300%. Workers are increasingly aware of mental health and want better support. In response, a dense marketplace of individualized solutions has emerged: therapy, apps, coaching, and now AI chatbots. Simultaneously, many workers are navigating an increasingly uncertain world. Amid a volatile economy and political climate, some employers have scaled back investments while others have remained committed.
In this report, we cover the defining developments in 2025, why so many workers are still struggling, and what needs to happen to make steps toward a mentally healthier workforce in 2026.
Defining Trends of 2025
A year of destabilization leaves workers scrambling for support.
In 2025, many workers experienced disruptions to essential resources that protect mental health. At the federal level, we saw cuts to its workforce, key public health infrastructure, worker safety protections, and programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and SNAP.
Where employers, in theory, can fill these gaps, the picture is less clear. Many employers increased investments in mental health benefits and related resources this year. But many workers also lost their jobs in an era of “forever layoffs” and took on extra jobs to combat stagnant wages. Many lost flexibility following a rise in return-to-office mandates. And many tasked with supporting workers—like managers and HR—are struggling amidst conflicting priorities. Meanwhile, many workers are being told to be more productive than ever before.
Key reads:
AI becomes ever pervasive with mixed returns and clear harms.
Companies and AI providers raced to adopt the new technology, but workers are left with a mixed bag. Many workers reported heavy-handed implementation of AI, leading to frustration around “workslop.” Reports of AI-driven layoffs sparked fear and anxiety. And employees at AI companies themselves reported unique challenges to mental health. New AI offerings also saturated the healthcare market, all promising scientific rigor and better access to mental healthcare. These claims, however, were clouded by reports of new AI therapy chatbots causing worse mental health symptoms, “AI psychosis,” and even deaths.
While research suggests some benefit to productivity, Americans are more concerned than hopeful.
Key reads:
[x] “Leaders Assume Employees Are Excited About AI. They’re Wrong.” Harvard Business Review
[x] “AI-Generated “Workslop” Is Destroying Productivity,” Harvard Business Review
[x] “APA Health Advisory: Use of generative AI chatbots and wellness applications for mental health,” American Psychological Association
Workers and employers diverge on corporate ethics and social causes.
Many employers scaled back their engagement with social issues in response to political and legal shifts Some backtracked environmental sustainability goals, withdrew participation in LGBTQ+ causes, and quieted their diversity, equity, and inclusion (or DEI) efforts. But as employers waffle, workers increasingly expect them to play a bigger role in a better world. Americans want businesses to speak up on current events, prioritize ethical companies in their spending, and prefer employers whose values align with their own.
Key reads:
Workers disengage from work as trust in institutions decline.
Amidst an uncertain economy, many workers stayed in their jobs while they could, resulting in the “Great Stay.” But as employers increased productivity expectations, job stability, wages, and working conditions didn’t necessarily improve. Encouragingly, more workers had access to mental health resources at work, but these resources did not change the realities of work itself. Analyses by Glassdoor report persistently low employee confidence, while reports of burnout continue to surge—queue “Quiet Cracking.”
For many Americans, life has gotten more expensive, more complicated, and less certain. Amidst layoffs, technological upheaval, and disruptions to social safety nets, Americans’ trust in the institutions—including employers—declined.
Key reads:
[x] The Workplace Psychological Contract Is Broken. Here’s How to Fix It." HBR
[x] “‘Quiet cracking’ is spreading in offices: Half of workers are at breaking point” Fortune
[x] “The Labor Market Has Changed From the ‘Great Resignation’ to the ‘Great Stay’ Because ‘Workers Aren’t Going Anywhere’” Entrepreneur
Good is still happening as workplace mental health persists as a top priority.
Despite all of the above, good is still happening. Mental health remains a top priority for both workers and employers. The Business Group on Health’s 2025 Employer Well-being Strategy Survey reported half of the companies surveyed cited mental health as their top well-being strategy focus. Many employers like Apple and Mastercard overwhelmingly rejected anti-DEI proposals submitted to their shareholders. Some workers saw wage increases as well, whether they were employer-driven like at Walmart and Sam’s Club or following union efforts like at Costco.
These investments bear returns. In Mind Share Partners’ 2025 Mental Health at Work Report, employees who feel supported by their employer around their mental health see better outcomes around mental health, trust, job satisfaction, and intent to stay. Emergent research, too, continues to show that employer investments in worker well-being links to firm profitability and value.
Key reads:
Looking forward: From stigma to sustainable systems
A clear narrative emerged this year. When employers invest in their people, employees and employers alike see returns. But it’s a choice, and the right investments need to be made.
Stay the course and build on your investment.
The number of employers investing in workplace mental health continues to grow, including the level of their investment, too. OLLY made it their social mission while Hyatt launched a company-wide well-being strategy that started by listening to their employees and reducing stigma through storytelling. There are many ways to start when it comes to workplace mental health, and it’s imperative that employers continue to invest—not just for their people, but for work and the world.
Translate solutions into systems.
Many employers provide solutions to fix mental health issues rather than focusing on robust systems that prevent them altogether. In other words, it’s not just about enabling individuals to self-care—it’s about looking at the workplace holistically to understand how it helps or hinders well-being.
Systems aren’t just about raising awareness around burnout; it’s ensuring teams are effectively resourced to prevent it. Systems aren’t just about Friday mindfulness days to reduce stress; it’s designing flexible workflows to mitigate it. Systems aren’t just about training managers to respond to mental health crises; it’s equipping them to support it day-to-day—and hiring managers who are good at it.
Rebuild trust.
Many of the challenges posed to workers this year came from broken promises from employers: leaning into DEI and now stepping back, rapidly hiring followed by waves of layoffs, and investing in mental health resources while scaling back flexibility amidst increased productivity expectations. This push-and-pull not only hurts workers’ well-being but their trust in employers as well. From a well-being perspective, trust can begin to be rebuilt when employers not only listen to employee feedback but follow through with real, tangible action.
A healthier future of work—for both workers and businesses—is contingent on continuous, consistent, and genuine investment in people.
Here are two resources to help you get started:
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