How Work Impacts Mental Health — and What Leaders Can Do About It

Mental health challenges are on the rise, and the workplace plays a larger role in this crisis than many realize. As organizations strive to support employee well-being, it’s increasingly important to recognize the environmental and cultural conditions contributing to mental health strain and take proactive steps toward change. Given their focus on education, training, and collaboration, group captives have a unique opportunity to help member-companies reshape workplace conditions that improve employee well-being and drive long-term financial sustainability.

In April’s Health Risk Management Webinar, Captive Resources’ Madison Bezdicek hosted Dr. Colleen Saringer, professional speaker and founder of Dr. Colleen Speaks, for a powerful discussion on the link between work and mental health. Drawing on personal experience and professional expertise, Dr. Saringer outlined the root causes of mental health distress in the workplace and shared actionable strategies that leaders, especially those in captive insurance programs, can implement to foster psychologically safe and supportive environments.

Understanding the Stigma and the Risk

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 1 in 5 U.S. adults experiences mental illness. Yet many employees still feel they must remain silent. During the session, Dr. Saringer highlighted the following:

• 42% of employees worry their careers would be negatively impacted if they disclosed mental health struggles.
• Common barriers to speaking up include fear of judgment, stigma, and concerns over losing opportunities or appearing weak.

Many employees identify their job as the primary factor impacting their mental health.

Work-Related Psychosocial Factors

Through personal storytelling — including the experience of nearly losing her father to suicide due to extreme work stress — Dr. Saringer underscored the importance of addressing workplace conditions that silently erode mental health. These “psychosocial factors” include:

• High job demands: Unreasonable workloads that consistently exceed capacity.
• Low control: Minimal autonomy or decision-making authority in one’s role.
• Poor support: Lack of resources, feedback, and managerial backing.
• Workplace incivility: Sarcasm, exclusion, or passive-aggressive behavior that goes unchecked.
• Organizational change mismanagement: Role ambiguity, unclear expectations, and inadequate onboarding or transitions.

Dr. Saringer noted that these issues often go unrecognized but can compound over time, leading to burnout, anxiety, and, in some cases, suicidal ideation.

A Framework for Action: ACT IN

To help employers move from awareness to action, Dr. Saringer introduced her ACT IN Framework, a research-based tool designed to help leaders assess and redesign work environments to support mental well-being:

A – Acknowledge and Assess

• Recognize that workplace practices may be contributing to mental health strain.
• Replace impersonal surveys with real-time, boots-on-the-ground conversations to understand what employees are experiencing.

C – Communicate to Connect

• Encourage managers to model vulnerability and openness, setting a tone that supports psychological safety.
• Build trust through consistent, meaningful interactions, such as saying hello, checking in regularly, or simply showing appreciation.

T – Trust

• Trust is the foundation that underpins every step of the framework.
• Trust is not automatic — it must be earned and actively maintained. Leaders who acknowledge challenges and communicate openly create trust to grow, enabling lasting cultural change.

IN – Implement and Normalize

• Help employees define how they work best and support them in establishing personal boundaries.
• As leaders, understand each team member’s preferences and create shared “rules of engagement” for communication and collaboration.
• Embed mental health into the day-to-day culture through small, consistent actions.
• Normalize asking for help, setting boundaries, and prioritizing well-being.

Real-World Impact Among Group Captive Members

Dr. Saringer’s insight is particularly relevant for group captive members, who tend to foster tight-knit communities. She referenced examples from her family’s construction business and well-known leaders like Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer, who builds trust through intentional employee engagement and practices aligned with the ACT IN framework. These examples demonstrated how intentional engagement builds trust and reinforces a culture of care.

Key Takeaways for Group Captive Members

One impactful takeaway from the session? A sincere greeting can go a long way. A simple “good morning,” “thank you,” or acknowledging a colleague's efforts can foster connection and provide much-needed mental relief in the workplace.

For group captive members seeking to build healthier workplace cultures, embracing these strategies offers a clear path forward — and an opportunity to lead by example in prioritizing employee well-being.

To connect with Dr. Saringer or learn more about her workplace mental health consulting, visit https://www.colleensaringer.com/.

About the Webinar

This presentation was part of Captive Resources’ Medical Stop Loss Webinar Series — regular installments of webinars to educate medical stop loss group captive members. The thoughts and opinions expressed in these webinars are those of the presenters and do not necessarily reflect Captive Resources’ positions on any of the above topics.