Convene Business, Government and Community Leaders to Discuss Ways to Address the Mental Health Crisis Impacting Employees Across America

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Business Roundtable and The Cigna Group brought together senior business executives, federal policymakers and community leaders last night for a Workforce Mental Health Summit in the nation's capital. The event was part of the Business Roundtable Mental Health Initiative, a CEO-led effort to help companies promote and support employee mental health, championed by David M. Cordani, Chairman and CEO of The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI). During the event, leaders in business and government provided perspectives on the impacts of the mental health crisis and strategies to ensure a healthy and productive U.S. workforce.

"Mental health – and the many complex issues surrounding it – touches every aspect of our lives, and each and every one of us can share a story about facing mental health challenges," said Cordani. "Employers have an unmatched relationship of trust with their workers and are integral to supporting their access to care. Yet this cannot be a one-and-done initiative – if we truly want to move the needle, and build a stronger, more resilient, healthier nation, it will take all of us pulling together in the same direction."

"CEOs understand the important role they play in addressing employee mental health and dismantling the stigma, and they are committed to being a part of the solution," said Business Roundtable CEO Joshua Bolten. "Business Roundtable launched our Mental Health Initiative earlier this year to equip business leaders with resources, expert best practices and peer insights to enhance their companies' mental health efforts."

Throughout the event, panelists discussed the importance of building workplace cultures that support employee mental health and the need for public-private sector collaboration to mitigate the crisis. To shed light on the role of government, Cordani led a fireside chat with U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE), who shared policy recommendations to address loneliness and other mental health challenges, and support access to care and substance use disorder treatments.

Another panel discussion featured Julie Sweet, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Accenture; Wayne Peacock, President and Chief Executive Officer, USAA; and Blake Moret, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Rockwell Automation. The CEOs shared their views on the impact of mental health challenges on businesses and the economy and information on their companies' efforts to promote workforce mental health.

More than one in five U.S. adults and youths live with a mental illness, and 76% of U.S. workers in 2021 reported experiencing at least one symptom of a mental health condition. Beyond the profound personal impact, mental health challenges have far-reaching consequences on business that impact the whole economy. Missed work due to employee depression alone was estimated in a 2022 analysis to cost the U.S. economy $47.6 billion annually in lost productivity.

Learn more about Business Roundtable Mental Health Initiative here.

About The Cigna Group

The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) is a global health company committed to creating a better future built on the vitality of every individual and every community. We relentlessly challenge ourselves to partner and innovate solutions for better health. The Cigna Group includes products and services marketed under Cigna Healthcare, Evernorth Health Services, or its subsidiaries. The Cigna Group maintains sales capabilities in more than 30 countries and jurisdictions and has more than 189 million customer relationships around the world. Learn more at thecignagroup.com.

About Business Roundtable

Business Roundtable is an association of more than 200 chief executive officers (CEOs) of America's leading companies, representing every sector of the U.S. economy. Business Roundtable CEOs lead U.S.-based companies that support one in four American jobs and almost a quarter of U.S. GDP. Through CEO-led policy committees, Business Roundtable members develop and advocate directly for policies to promote a thriving U.S. economy and expanded opportunity for all Americans. Learn more at brt.org.

Media Contacts
Madeline Ziomek, The Cigna Group
(202) 615-1473
[email protected]

Jennifer Cummings, Business Roundtable
(202) 496-3249
[email protected]

SOURCE The Cigna Group; Business Roundtable