Helpful resources for business owners who are struggling with mental illness or substance abuse issues. Includes financial aid, employee assistance programs, and more.
The stress of owning a business can be overwhelming at times, especially with the complications that COVID introduced. Finding help and support for mental health and substance abuse issues can be a crucial step to not only continuing to grow a business but also living a happy and healthy life.
Owning and operating a business can be a stressful undertaking even in the best of times. The stress and pressure of interviewing, personnel management, and day-to-day operations can be immense. Because of these issues and other factors, there is a higher occurrence of mental health issues and substance use disorder among business owners when compared to the general population. With the uncertainty and disruption the last few years have seen, especially due to COVID, this is more the case now than ever before. Here, we hope to inform, support, and provide guidance to any business owner who may be struggling with co-occurring mental health issues and substance use disorders.
One study from 2018 found that business owners and entrepreneurs are not only more likely to suffer from a mental illness, but they are also significantly more likely to suffer from multiple co-occurring mental health conditions. The most common, but by no means the only, mental health conditions among entrepreneurs include depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and substance use disorder. This study found that of the entrepreneurs included, 72% experienced at least one mental health disorder.
While substance abuse has been common among business owners for a long time, this has only recently begun to be discussed publicly. Many prominent business leaders have opened up about their own struggles with substance use disorders and addiction and there have been several high-profile articles in well-renowned business magazines including Forbes, Business Insider, Inc, and more.rnrnFor a more numbers-oriented approach, let’s take a look at a SAMHSA report that was released in 2015. This report examined the rates of illicit drug use and addiction in different industries including management. In this report, management is defined as “Management of companies and enterprises, administration, support, waste management, and remediation services.”rnrnAnother issue of concern is the increasing rates of substance abuse issues, especially among business owners, during times of economic hardship. This next graphic displays the rates of illicit drug use over two periods of time; 4 years before the financial crisis of 2008, and 4 years after. The difference in illicit drug use rates among entrepreneurs is significant, as there is an almost 15% increase across this time.
One study found that employees who suffer from depression were 70% greater healthcare costs than non-depressed employees, and when combined with high-stress their healthcare expenses increased to 147% of non-depressed employees. This is a significant expense that can be reduced by promoting mental healthcare practices and treatment in the workplace.
Proactive steps toward promoting health and wellness in the workplace can not only earn the goodwill of employees but can also increase productivity while reducing healthcare costs. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) can be extremely helpful in allowing an employer to promote health and wellness in the workplace while also keeping costs at a minimum. The cost of an EAP can vary by state and company size. For example, a company with less than 25 employees may expect to pay about $50 per employee, per year for an EAP. These costs decrease along with the size of the company, and with companies that employ 5,00 or more people, it may be as little as $20 per employee per year.
A 1990 report by the US Department of Labor found that for every dollar an employer invests in an EAP, they save between $5 to $16 dollars. A good way to get a rough idea of the savings an EAP can produce is to use this EAP ROI Calculator. This tool provides a rough estimate and by no means should this be taken as fact, although it can be a quick and easy way to examine the potential costs saved by providing cheap and easily accessible mental health services to your employees.
Professional treatment is the most effective way to recover from mental health and substance abuse issues. In addition to professional help, we have compiled a guide of helpful resources that are geared towards business owners as well as the specific conditions that are most common among entrepreneurs. That being said, there are many more mental health conditions that are not addressed here. If you are struggling and need help, reach out to a mental healthcare professional, a family member, or a friend and let them know what’s going on.
Some extremely helpful business or financial aid resources include:
A hospitality industry site that is aimed at providing a clear picture that the COVID pandemic
An organization dedicated to helping foodservice workers, this site provides a wealth of resources
A non-profit organization, their resources page has dozens of resources for finding financial aid
An organization dedicated to helping foodservice workers, this site
This is a comprehensive directory of all local Chambers of Commerce
This government site provides a wealth of information for financial aid during and after covid
This government site provides multiple resources for financial aid
Browse the top-rated rehab centers for drug and alcohol addiction by state.
We’ve listed the best drug rehabs in each state according to accreditations, online reviews and treatment programs offered.
LiveAnotherDay.org’s helpline is a private and convenient solution for individuals seeking treatment for addiction or mental illness.
Calls to our helpline (all non-facility specific 1-8XX numbers) will be answered by Recovery Advisors, American Addiction Centers, or one of our verified local treatment partners. Calls are routed based on geographic location.
Our helpline is offered at no cost to you and with no obligation to enter into treatment. In some cases, Live Another Day charges our verified partner a modest cost per call, which helps us cover the costs of building and maintaining our website. We do not receive any commission or fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a visitor ultimately selects.
For more information on Live Another Day’s helpline, as well as our selection process, mission statement, and staff, visit our About page.
If our helpline is unable to assist you, we recommend browsing our state-by-state listings of the Best-Rated Rehab Centers, reading our resource guides, or visiting SAMHSA.gov.