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Well-being in Mexico: Mental Health

Employers can play an important role for employees who have mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders by providing culturally-relevant mental health benefits, employee assistance services, and culturally competent educational materials that combat stigma.

January 09, 2020

Well-being in Mexico: Focus on Diabetes and Mental Health
This guide focuses on mental health and diabetes in Mexico. It summarizes the drivers, challenges, facilitators, available services and employer examples.
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Employers can play an important role for employees who have mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders by providing culturally-relevant mental health benefits, employee assistance services, and culturally competent educational materials that combat stigma.

  • 1 in 4 Mexican adults will suffer from a mental health disorder. Of those with mental health issues, only 1 in 5 will seek care.1
  • Mental health and substance abuse are in the top 10 health issues and account for a third of total disability burden (33.5%). Depressive disorders are the most prevalent mental health issue in Mexico.2,3
Top barriers globally 
Figure 2: Top Barriers Globally
  • With high rates of interpersonal violence and rising stress rates, mental health issues have grown 20% from 2007 to 2017.4
  • 3 out of the top 5 situations affecting employees’ quality of life have an emotional component:1
    • Stress at work – 86%
    • Commuting – 51%
    • Personal and family emotional situations – 41%
  • Mental health disorders prevalence in Mexican children and adolescents is 39.4%.5

Challenges

  • Mexico lacks trained mental health personnel (especially compared to most Latin American markets) to address the needs of employees and their families.6
  • Mexico has the second lowest number of mental health cases being treated in Latin America.6
  • Mental health services are covered by 32% of Global Institute members’ medical insurance offerings in Mexico.7 Those services are limited, and depression is not covered at all.1
  • The treatment gap for children and adolescents is 86%.5

Prevalence of Treated Cases of Severe mental Disorders in the Americas

Treated Cases Prevalence Argentina Brazil Colombia Costa Rica Mexico Panama Peru U.S.
Cases Per 100,000 People - 73,757.43 808.3 449.08 242.10 162.00 777.09 2,094.21
Total Cases - 151,912,360 8389,824 21,591 304,780 6,430 243,826 6,700,000

Mental Health Workforce Per 100,000 People in the Americas

Mental Health Workforce Argentina Brazil Colombia Costa Rica Mexico Panama Peru U.S.
Psychiatrists 17.00 3.16 1.84 3.93 0.21 4.03 2.95 10.54
Child Psychiatrists 1.62 - - 0.29 0.03 0.53 0.21 2.00
Other Specialized Doctors 5.83 10.71 - 113.04 0.07 0.05 1.15 -
Mental Health Nurses - 34.95 - 5.70 0.22 3.45 1.02 4.28
Psychologists 222.57 12.37 - 142.02 3.46 7.33 9.51 29.86
Social Workers - 6.61 - 76.96 0.14 9.22 0.36 60.34
Occupational Therapists - 2.86 - - 0.03 - 0.09 40.76
Speech Therapists - 3.76 - - 0.00 - 0.12 45.35
Other Paid Mental Health Workers 0.37 243.03 - - 0.25 - 16.63 78.14
TOTAL MENTAL HEALTH WORKFORCE 247.40 317.45 1.84 341.94 4.40 24.61 32.03 32.03

Facilitators

The Mexican government implemented a new legal regulation – a Mandatory Risk Identification Survey (in Spanish) – that will require all employers to provide this survey to their employees to assess their risk of workplace stress.1,9 While currently well-being programs focus on prevention and healthy eating options, given the limited services available for mental health, and the new Mandatory Risk Identification Survey, it will be interesting to see if mental health related well-being programs will be explored.1

89% of Global Institute members offer EAP in Mexico, which is higher than the average in Mexico (27%).1,7 Companies have found that EAP utilization in Latin America is higher than other regions.1 Granted, that utilization is focused on other services not typical EAP services around mental health.1

What Employers Can Do

  • Share employee and senior leader testimonials relating to their personal experiences in their own lives or those of loved ones to reduce stigma around mental health.
  • Review medical insurance offerings to ensure mental health services are incorporated, including depression.
  • Promote employee assistance programs and available mental health resources in the local area.
  • Provide training to leaders and local HR on how to better listen to mental health issues and point employees to appropriate care.
  • Incorporate mental/emotional well-being efforts in global well-being dashboards and accreditation tools.
  • Keep momentum. For real impact, efforts need to last throughout the year and not just recognized on World Mental Health Day.

External Resources and Services

Please note that the Business Group does not endorse any vendors. This is for informational purposes only.

Employer Example: American Express

  • Strategy: American Express embeds emotional well‐being and stigma reduction into the fabric of its culture by getting people to talk about mental health and driving people to available resources.21
  • EAP: American Express uses the global EAP, ValueOptions and their international partner, Workplace Options.21
  • Branding: Healthy Minds21
  • Efforts in Mexico:
    • #IWILLLISTEN, a global company initiative that they launched.21 People wear bracelets that identify them as someone who supports mental health at American Express.21 They take a pledge to be supportive and will learn how best to listen.21
    • Cognitive-Behavioral Games Pilot Program (with Brain Resource): This program offers games based on cognitive-behavioral principles.21 The pilot will help determine if it is beneficial from a mental health perspective.21
    • On-site services for mental health have been added.21
mental health in the workplace
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“Build an EAP that fits the local needs to the employees that you are serving rather than trying to transmit your EAP to fit those locations.”


Dr. Charles Lattarulo

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. Challenges
  2. Prevalence of Treated Cases of Severe mental Disorders in the Americas
  3. Mental Health Workforce Per 100,000 People in the Americas
  4. Facilitators
  5. What Employers Can Do
  6. External Resources and Services
  7. Employer Example: American Express