Government employees are operating in an increasingly pressure-filled environment. As citizens demand more, higher quality public services, agencies are struggling with chronic staff shortages, growing workloads, and pervasive burnout. More than 70% of US state and local public health workers report at least one symptom of burnout, and 25% report “very often” or “always” feeling burned out at work.
In fact, according to The State of Employee Mental Health in the Public Sector, a 2025 PSHRA report, burnout (75%) and workload (78%) are the most commonly cited drivers of government employees’ mental health concerns, along with workplace politics (63%) and poor work-life balance (53%). These challenges take a toll on individual wellbeing, retention, productivity, and an agency’s ability to deliver public services.
Yet even as employee strain grows, organizational support appears to be moving in the wrong direction. Only 14% of agencies have conducted wellbeing assessments in the past two years, and employees perceive leadership support for mental health is declining. For example, in 2025, 54% of HR professionals said their leadership was supportive or highly supportive of mental health initiatives, down from 69% in 2021.
Low utilization of mental health benefits; stigma a persistent barrier
A perceived lack of leadership support for mental health can undermine well-intentioned efforts to improve it. Nearly half (47%) of HR professionals in the PSHRA survey said their agency had expanded mental health resources, yet employee utilization of those benefits remained low. Only 24% of respondents believed employees were actually using the mental health benefits available to them, showing that simply expanding resources isn’t sufficient. Employees need to feel confident that resources are supported and safe to access.
Unfortunately, stigma remains a significant barrier. The PSHRA findings show that younger public sector employees in particular hesitate to seek support because they worry about judgment, confidentiality, or how others may perceive their decision to prioritize mental health. Among respondents ages 35 and younger, 50% said they would worry about colleagues finding out about their mental health challenges, and 33% said they feel mental well-being is taboo within their agency.
Closing the utilization gap starts with leaders
Leaders influence whether employees view mental health support as something safe to pursue. Visible commitment, frequent communication, and normalizing conversations about mental health can help reduce stigma and increase confidence that seeking support won’t carry professional consequences.
Similarly, conducting wellbeing assessments can help demonstrate that employee experiences and mental health matter. Assessments can offer important insights into how employees are feeling and provide the data needed to make informed decisions about wellbeing strategy and benefits.
Actions that government leaders can take include:
- Talking openly about mental health and wellbeing, including sharing personal stories about challenges and solutions
- Normalizing benefit use through consistent communication
- Building mental health literacy throughout the organization
- Equipping managers to have mental health conversations with employees
- Reinforcing confidentiality and trust
Without visible leadership support, stigma persists, utilization remains low, and employees may feel that wellbeing is exclusively a personal responsibility and not an organizational priority.
Supplementing employee assistance programs with digital mental health support
According to the PSHRA survey, nearly all government organizations (98%) offer an employee assistance program (EAP). But EAPs are often underutilized, especially when stigma or scheduling barriers exist. It’s not surprising that the majority of HR respondents said they want their organization to supplement the EAP, and 63% said they want their agency to offer mental health support programs.
Digital mental wellness solutions, such as Calm Health, can complement EAPs by offering flexible, private support that employees can access on their own time. For workforces under tremendous strain, Calm Health enables agencies to
- Offer online, on-demand mental health screenings to employees
- Provide support that’s accessible anytime, anywhere from a smartphone or browser
- Overcome barriers associated with appointment‑based care
- Offer everyday support for symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression before they escalate into more serious mental and physical health conditions
- Provide evidence-based mental wellness programs for people struggling with chronic conditions, challenging life experiences such as death or divorce, and stressful/traumatic occupations such first responder or frontline work
- Increase engagement with mental health benefits by recommending and guiding employees to resources, such as an EAP or crisis line, based on their online mental health screening results and self-reported information.
Digital tools also help normalize mental health support by giving employees an approachable way to explore support, often before they feel ready to contact an EAP. When paired with strong leadership communication, digital solutions can significantly increase utilization and reduce stigma.
A path forward for improving government workforce wellbeing
Employee mental health needs are rising, yet organizations are doing less to understand those needs and employees perceive less support from leadership.
Government leaders can strengthen workforce wellbeing by investing in accessible mental health resources, supplementing traditional EAPs with modern digital tools, and communicating consistently so employees feel secure in accessing them. Regular wellbeing assessments and open dialogue signal that mental health is a shared priority, not an individual burden.
Employees need more than programs. They need confidence that their leaders value those programs and support their use. Rebuilding that confidence is essential to creating a healthier, more resilient public workforce.
