What is the ROI of mental health and wellbeing courses? 

The current state of UK mental health  

In recent times, mental ill-health costs the global economy around one trillion US dollars every year. In the UK, that’s around £35 billion per year meaning that in 2023 businesses need to be proactive with how they address this issue.  

With the rise of stress-related illnesses, burnout, and other mental health challenges in the workplace, mental health and wellbeing support has become a strategic area of focus for organisations in recent years. However, it's clear that organisations need to continue to prioritise mental health and wellbeing and work towards a strategy of prevention.
A lot of work has been done by organisations to address this but there is still more to do - and consistent support and solutions are vital.

That's where mental health and wellbeing training comes in. This type of training is designed to help individuals develop the skills and knowledge they need to support their own mental health and wellbeing, as well as that of others. Knowledge and understanding helps lead to prevention, and training works well alongside the other interventions and resources that organisations have in place.

Training for mental health 

Learning and Development in the workplace goes beyond training for specific job roles and industries. There is a big focus on providing learning and development in soft skills, such as: 

• self-awareness 
• workplace skills 
• mental health & wellbeing

Training such as this supports and develops employees as people, not just in their job role. 

Mental health training at work refers to the education and support provided to employees in order to improve their mental health and well-being in the workplace. This training typically covers a range of topics related to mental health, including: 

• stress management 
• resilience 
• coping strategies 
• communication skills 
• how to recognise and respond to mental health issues

Mental Health training in a business can take many forms:

• Workshops 
• Webinars 
• one-on-one coaching 
• eLearning courses  

Mental Health and Wellbeing training is relevant in business so they can create a workplace culture that supports and prioritises mental health and well-being, and to equip employees with the skills and knowledge needed to manage their mental health effectively. 

By investing in mental health training businesses can improve employee engagement and productivity, reduce absenteeism and turnover, and create a more supportive and inclusive workplace culture. Additionally, promoting mental health and well-being in the workplace is not only beneficial for employees, but it is also the ethical responsibility of the employer. 

Why is mental health training important? 

Mental health training for businesses is vital in the modern world of work. In many cases, it’s only now that employers are starting to do something about it, namely through better mental health awareness training. Effective, scenario-based learning is one of the best ways to empower staff to take responsibility for their own mental wellbeing and promote healthier, happier workforce. The initial investment is often well worth the long-term benefits.  

Beyond the lasting damage it can cause to the wellbeing of individuals and families, poor mental health also leads to a wide range of performance-related issues at work, including: 

• low engagement 
• poor performance 
• increased absence  
• higher employee turnover 

The cost of mental health illness to businesses can be substantial. However, investing in mental health training for businesses, as well as wider programs and resources, can help businesses reduce costs associated with lost productivity, absenteeism, and turnover, while also creating a more supportive and inclusive workplace culture. 

What is the value of training for mental health? Exploring Mental Health ROI

So how can you measure your ROI of mental health and wellbeing training? 

Quantifying the impact of your initiative isn’t always easy, particularly if you lack the ability to benchmark and report on progress.  

There are a range of both tangible and intangible costs and benefits of mental health training for businesses. Measuring the success of this depends on how often you connect the dots between the outcomes.  

This requires HR managers and L&D leaders to approach the training goals in line with their companies goals and then ensure that resources are in place to monitor and share updates on the impact.  

The ROI of mental health training 

• Research from Deloitte revealed that 28% of employees who left their job between 2020-21 cited poor mental health as the main reason for handing in their notice.   
• That means organisations could cut turnover by roughly one-third by resolving this issue.  
• The Deloitte study found that for every £1 spent by employers on mental health interventions, employers received £5.30 back in cost savings related to absence, presenteeism and staff turnover.   
• That equates to an ROI of 530%.

Another key insight from Deloitte, in their report “The ROI in workplace mental health programs: Good for people, good for business”  was that organisations should: 

Example Mental Health ROI Calculation 

Better mental health support in the workplace can save UK businesses billions, by promoting wellbeing at work through: 

• information 
• increased awareness 
• advice 
• interventions 

For a company with 500 employees, it is estimated that an initial investment of £40,000 will result in a net return of £347,722 in savings.  

This is mainly due to the reduced presenteeism, which is lost productivity that occurs due to an employee working while ill, and absenteeism, missing work due to ill health. 

Based on a workforce of 500, with training content that costs £5,180 could save the organisation up to £40k in absence costs due to reduced presenteeism and absenteeism. 

By providing employees with the knowledge and skills necessary to recognise and respond to mental health issues, businesses can create a healthier, more engaged, and productive workforce. 

The Access Learning Mental Health and Wellbeing eLearning catalogue includes modules on all of the above areas of Mental Health Awareness Training for employees and for managers.  

What makes effective Mental Health training at work? 

Having an effective mental health culture in the workplace isn’t an easy task, it’s crucial that employers create a resourceful, supportive environment where employees feel they can self-serve or reach out for support.  

It’s important for the employer to understand the full range of employee needs and both choosing the right training content and the most effective delivery method.  

Effective training should, for example, be: 

• Up to date 
• Created with subject matter experts 
• Bite-size 
• Mobile friendly 
• Engaging  

The Value of Mental Health Training at Work 

To summarise, the cost of doing nothing can be much greater than the cost of investing in an ongoing mental health and wellbeing strategy.  

There are a wide range of benefits of mental health training for businesses, as well as for each individual employee. 

It helps employees to identify and manage their own mental health needs, reducing the risk of burnout, absenteeism and turnover. Employers who offer mental health training demonstrate their commitment to supporting their employees' wellbeing, which can enhance employee satisfaction, engagement, productivity and retention. 

The return on investment of mental health training for businesses can also be clearly demonstrated. Can your business afford NOT to invest? 

Access Learning 

Access Learning provides both the platform and content to deliver effective mental health training at work.  

With Access LMS, the learner can utilise this training through the mobile app, delivered in bitesize chunks, hosted on our Learning Management System or any third party LMS.  

Find out more about Access Learning mental health training for businesses.