Build a mental health strategy focused on prevention
Last month’s Mental Health Awareness Week (12th-18th May) gave employers an opportunity to shift from reacting to their employee’s mental health challenges to actively preventing them.
With one in four adults in England experiencing difficulties with their mental health, taking a proactive approach is not just a choice for businesses - it’s essential.
For businesses, taking a preventative approach to mental wellbeing improves the sustainability of insurance programmes and demonstrates a real commitment to employee wellbeing.
This, in turn, can boost employee morale, enhance productivity, and drive higher engagement.
Howden’s latest Benefits Design Research 2025, conducted in partnership with REBA, highlights a key trend: employee health and wellbeing are now central to benefits design.
Eight out of ten (80%) of employers have made significant changes to their benefits in the past year, with 46% increasing their investment in mental wellbeing.
Prevention is better than cure
Historically, mental health support has focused on reactive solutions such as employee assistance programmes (EAPs), private medical insurance, and counselling.
While these services are essential, they typically come into play only when someone is already in distress.
Employers are increasingly recognising the value of addressing mental health before issues escalate.
Yet, many current strategies still focus on treating existing problems, rather than building resilience, mitigating the likelihood of developing poor mental health and fostering early intervention.
Importantly, mental health is closely linked to physical, financial, and social wellbeing.
A truly effective strategy must therefore form part of a broader wellbeing framework - underpinned by three key areas of focus: education, awareness, and habit change.
This holistic approach builds resilience, encourages early intervention, and promotes a healthier, more supportive workplace culture.
By implementing such a strategy, employers send a clear message that they value their people - a message that can significantly boost loyalty, morale, and retention.
Building a preventative mental health strategy
- Educate employees – Provide training on key topics and areas that impact an individual’s mental health, such as stress management, sleep hygiene, exercise and nutrition. This helps employees recognise early signs and take proactive steps to keep them thriving.
- Raise awareness – After educating employees about things that can negatively impact their mental health, they will have an increased awareness of what their risk factors are and where they need to focus. In addition, encourage open dialogue about mental health to reduce stigma. Creating a safe environment enables early recognition and support.
- Promote healthy habits – Support lifestyle behaviours that improve mental wellbeing, such as regular physical activity, good nutrition, and quality sleep. Introduce initiatives like walking meetings, fitness sessions, or healthy eating workshops – allow employees to implement the strategies that will look to mitigate their specific risks.
- Support work-life balance – Promote flexible working (where possible), encourage regular breaks, and ensure employees take annual leave to help prevent burnout.
- Offer financial wellbeing support – The impact of financial wellbeing on mental health is huge. Address financial stress with tools and training on budgeting, managing debt, and the importance of saving for the future. By educating employees in this key area, you can raise awareness of their risks, and perhaps encourage them to change their habits to ensure they remain healthy.
- Build social connections – Create a sense of community through team-building events, volunteer programmes, and peer support groups.
- Provide resilience training – Help employees develop the skills to manage stress, cope with change, and recover from setbacks.
- Create support networks – Set up peer support groups, employee resource groups (ERGs), and provide access to trained mental health first aiders (MHFAs).
The business case for prevention
A preventative approach to mental health doesn’t just reduce risk - it creates a healthier, more engaged, and more resilient workforce.
By focusing on education, awareness, and habit formation, employers can build a lasting culture of wellbeing that supports employees before issues arise.
Crucially, this doesn’t have to be costly.
Many insurance providers already offer resources, tools, and services that can be integrated into wellbeing strategies with little or no additional investment.
At the heart of any effective wellbeing strategy lies a clear understanding of employee needs.
Engagement surveys, focus groups, and wellbeing data provide vital insights to shape targeted, meaningful interventions.
By combining preventative action with data-driven decisions, employers can better support their people - while also enhancing the long-term success and sustainability of their wellbeing programmes.
To ensure that the strategy is successful businesses must build in an effective way of reviewing the successes of the programme and adapt and change if necessary.
Supplied by REBA Associate Member, Howden Employee Benefits
Howden provides insurance broking, risk management and claims consulting services, globally. We work with clients of all sizes to provide dedicated employee benefits & wellbeing consultancy.
