Strategies for Prioritizing Mental Health and Well-Being

CXOToday has engaged in an exclusive interview with Ms. Mahua Bisht, CEO of 1to1help on workplace mental health trends, focusing on actionable strategies from the 2024 State of Emotional Wellbeing Report, the impact of long work hours, rising anxiety among younger employees, and efforts to reduce stigma and enhance support systems.

1. What specific initiatives can organizations implement to create a more supportive environment for employee mental health and well-being?

First, organizations must move beyond surface-level initiatives and embed emotional well-being into their culture. This starts with normalizing conversations about mental health, ensuring senior leadership champions the cause, and creating awareness at all levels and various gathering points across the year whether at company townhalls, retreats, at onboarding or quarterly trainings. Second, investing in a comprehensive well-being program that offers targeted interventions for key employee groups—new joiners, managers, parents-to-be, women, and those transitioning into leadership—so that support is relevant and timely, is key.

But true impact goes beyond access to counseling. Organizations need to build a culture of care, where psychological safety is the norm, not the exception. Employees should feel safe to express their opinions and challenges without fear of judgment or repercussions. This requires leaders and managers to be equipped with skills in active listening, empathy, stress identification, and directing employees toward the right resources.

A holistic approach must balance both preventive and curative strategies—starting with measurement to pinpoint gaps and drive meaningful action. When organizations prioritize emotional well-being as a core business priority, not just an HR initiative, they unlock a healthier, more engaged, and resilient workforce.

2. Based on the findings from the 2024 State of Emotional Wellbeing Report, what strategies can organizations and individuals adopt to improve emotional well-being in the workplace?

Our findings show that utilization and engagement with emotional wellbeing programs is on the rise, along with distress and to some degree risk of self-harm. Interestingly over 59% of the cases formally referred to us by managers had a presence of certain risk factors that indicates that managers are key stakeholders in identifying distress and in enabling support for their teammates. Educating and empowering managers with the training to act as emotional support champions will be key.

Second the presence of depression and anxiety in those who came in for counselling was significant – indicating that organizations need to create more awareness around the benefits they have available, so they can mitigate the impact of mental health challenges early. Finally, those who got support showed significant improvement which we measure through goal attainment and reduction of symptoms through post-screening. For individuals, this means, seeking help early and proactively to thrive, rather than waiting for a crisis to take action is important. Many of the people who reach out to us do so for personal growth and self-improvement or managing difficult emotions better; mental health is something that should be nurtured actively and not just taken care of during times of challenge.

3. How do long working hours, such as the 90-hour work culture, impact employees’ mental health and productivity, and how can organizations mitigate these effects?

A 90-hour workweek effectively means working 15 hours a day for six days a week. That’s detrimental to an individual’s mental health as it leaves very little time for sleep, nurturing interpersonal relationships and leisure. The ideal duration of a workweek depends on the individual. I am a strong advocate for work-life integration where employers and employees keep channels of communication open and support each other in enabling the employee achieve success at work while able to cater to personal and family needs. This understanding helps create an element of trust which allows the employee to have flexible work arrangements in terms of time and place of work. Also, a hybrid work-set up is here to stay. I do advocate for leaving sufficient time for human interaction since that’s recipe for fostering greater collaboration and bringing in better efficiency. Technology can also help in allowing for certain mundane tasks to be delivered allowing employees to feel more valued by working on tasks that use their core skillset

4. With younger employees experiencing higher levels of anxiety and depression, how does 1to1help tailor its services to meet their specific needs?

The younger generation (under 30) is exhibiting more signs of anxiety and depression, likely because of being at a stage where they are figuring out their financial, professional, relationship bearings. In addition, they have shown better help-seeking behavior and greater awareness than previous generations which is a great sign (56% of those who reached out to us for counselling were under 30).   It is important that organizations understand these challenges that their younger employees face and enable the right kind of support. At 1to1help, we assist organizations through our campus-to-corporate programs which is a series of trainings, group discussions, assessments curated to understand the needs and challenges of those graduating from colleges to a new work-environments. Creating awareness around generational diversity in organizations and training managers to adapt to a multi-generational workforce’s working styles and needs is a great start.

5. Given the significant increase in suicide risk and distress cases, what proactive measures can organizations adopt to ensure employees have access to reliable mental health resources and support?

As per the report, 1 out of every 14 individuals faced a high risk of suicide, while 1 in 5 were at low risk.  Notably 59% of cases referred to counseling by managers involved some level of risk underscoring the critical role managers can play in identifying distress and directing employees to support.

Organizations must invest in peer support and manager training that equips them with skills in empathy, active listening, and in how to sensitively identify distress and refer them to professional support ensuring that more employees receive timely help.  I would also go a step further to urge organization to democratize support by training mental health champions in psychological first aid to assist employees.

Equally important is raising awareness around the availability of professional support so that those in severe distress can access much-needed support. Since its inception, 24 years ago, 1to1help has successfully addressed more than 15000 high risk cases, providing care and support to individuals during moments of profound emotional distress.

6. What strategies is 1to1help using to reduce stigma around mental health support for men, particularly in areas like financial and relationship counselling?

While there are more women than men accessing counseling support, it was heartening to see that there was a 7% increase in the number of men seeking support over last year. This is suggestive of the fact that men have increasingly started to seek support albeit slowly. Every year, 1to1help celebrates International Men’s Day (Nov 19) through campaigns and webinars that highlight men’s challenges, normalize mental health conversations, and encourage help-seeking and allyship. We go beyond just mental health support; we extended one-on-one financial wellness counselling with a financial expert (CA) to those seeking support/advisory on their financial wellbeing. In relationship counselling, our practice is also noteworthy that our parenting products are gender-neutral, encouraging men to seek professional support to be more present parents and supportive partners during pregnancy and post-partum.

7. The 2024 report indicates that 98% of individuals achieve their goals within three counselling sessions. What factors contribute to this high success rate, and how is progress measured during counselling?

At the outset these statistics are proof that timely professional support is effective in making individuals feel better. I do want to clarify that 98% of individuals move towards or achieve their goals within 3 sessions.

These goals are set with the counsellor and are designed to help the individuals prioritize their issues and what they’d like to work on.

Several factors contribute to this high success rate. A strong counsellor-counselee rapport is key, with counsellors providing an unbiased, non-judgmental space that fosters trust and growth. We also use an eclectic approach that’s evidence-based techniques like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), Gestalt, and Person-Centered Therapy enhance effectiveness. The counselee’s environment also plays a role in factors such as presence of emotional support, access to resources, session regularity, and practicing recommended interventions improve outcomes. Note that we measure progress through quantitative and qualitative feedback, standardized mental health assessments before and after counselling, and ongoing evaluations, allowing counsellors to adjust interventions as needed.

8. Can you share any insights into the profile of employees seeking counselling services through 1to1help? Are there certain industries or job roles where mental health challenges are more prevalent?

1to1help is an emotional wellbeing company serving industries such as IT, Manufacturing, BFSI, Consulting, Pharma, Healthcare and FMCG, to name a few. We cater to employees belonging to a diverse array of profiles and have specific interventions for cohorts such as blue-collar employees, sales, Generation Z (first time employees), managers, women and leaders

In many cases we cover the employees’ family members too. In 2024, 52% of counselling sessions were availed by women and 47% were availed by men. Employees within the age range of 25-30 years utilized the highest number of counselling sessions, followed by employees in the age range of 31-35 years.

9. What role do peer support groups play in addressing the unique concerns of different employee demographics, particularly for women facing pressures in both personal and professional realms?

Employee resource groups can play a role in driving specific initiatives around awareness for various cohorts.  Peer support groups, focus group discussions, and group counselling sessions provide a confidential environment that can help with destigmatizing and allow for individuals to share experiences, exchange ideas, and receive expert guidance with a professional counsellor to moderate and facilitate. These initiatives are particularly helpful for working women striving for work-life balance, new mothers transitioning back to work, and those seeking career growth. By institutionalizing peer connections and professional support, organizations can empower women to navigate challenges more effectively and create a community of support.

10. As organizations rethink traditional work schedules, what changes can be made to create a more balanced work-life environment, especially for those impacted by burnout and digital overload?

Organizations can foster work-life balance by implementing flexible schedules, such as hybrid or compressed workweeks, to reduce burnout and digital overload. Setting clear boundaries—like no after-hours emails and designated focus time—helps employees disconnect and recharge. Unplanned and last-minute requests add to a feeling of anxiety, and I feel managers will play a key role in ensuring their team members work in a planned manner. Measuring burnout across the organization can help companies proactively tackle this. Our platform does contain inbuilt proactive outreaches for those we feel are impacted by burnout.

In addition, providing mental well-being resources, wellness check-ins, and encouraging employees to take time off when needed supports overall well-being. Training in digital mindfulness and workload management enables employees to work efficiently without feeling overwhelmed. Ultimately, prioritizing well-being and sustained productivity over long hours creates a healthier, more engaged workforce.