Lincoln Financial, IBI report finds call center mental health benefits underused despite broad access

Lincoln National published an employer-focused analysis on workforce mental health, using national data plus a U.S. call-center survey of 1,500 workers.

The report flagged uneven strain:

• 70% of women rated mental health good or excellent versus 83% of men.
• 34% of women said they were comfortable discussing mental health at work.
• 28% felt uncomfortable or uncertain about raising mental health with supervisors.
• More than 75% reported access to mental health benefits, yet fewer than half used them.
• Key barriers cited were perceived lack of need at 59%, time constraints at 26%, and stigma at 15%.
• Only 44% rated outreach effective.