Study: Millennials And Gen Zers More Likely To Quit Their Job For Mental Health Reasons

(CBS Local) -- About half of millennials and 75 percent of Gen Zers have left a job because of mental health reasons, according to a study conducted by Mind Share Partners, SAP, and Qualtrics and published Monday in the Harvard Business Review.

That was significantly higher than the overall 20 percent of respondents who said they had left a job for mental-health reasons, indicating a "generational shift in awareness," the authors of the report stated.

The number was lowest for baby boomers (defined in the survey as 55-73 years old), with less than 10 percent leaving a job for mental health-related reasons.

The study, which looked at mental health challenges and stigmas in the U.S. workplace, polled 1,500 people ages 16 and older who are employed at a company with at least 11 employees.

The report says while more than 200 million workdays are lost due to mental health conditions each year, which translates into $16.8 billion in lost employee productivity, mental health remains a taboo subject.

Less than half of the respondents felt that mental health was prioritized at their company, and even fewer viewed their company leaders as advocates.

"This needs to change," the authors wrote. "Mental health is becoming the next frontier of diversity and inclusion, and employees want their companies to address it."

86 percent of respondents thought that a company's culture should support mental health. The percentage was even higher for millennials (23-38 years old) and Gen Zers (18-22 years old), who have higher turnover rates and are the largest demographic in the workforce.

"Our study shows that the most commonly desired workplace resources for mental health are a more open and accepting culture, training, and clearer information about where to go or who to ask for support," the authors added.