The ROI of Mental Health Care: 4 Hours of Productivity Gained Weekly

November 18, 2025

Companies have long known that mental health challenges affect how their employees show up to work and their productivity, but putting a dollar amount on it has been complex. 

Lyra Health’s newest peer-reviewed study, published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, changes that. Using a clinically validated tool that measures workplace productivity, we quantified the precise impact of mental health care on thousands of employees.

The impact is clear: employees who engage in mental health care regain an average of four productive hours per week—worth $4,806 annually. Those with the most severe challenges take back 17 hours per week, translating to $20,882 per year.

This is evidence that investing in mental health drives measurable business results.

Mark’s story: the hidden cost of struggling in silence

Mark’s week started with a familiar struggle. His calendar was packed, but a constant hum of worry and anxiety sapped his focus. His brain was filled with concerns about his family, his work performance, and other smaller worries he couldn’t seem to stop. 

He’d find himself staring at a patient's chart, re-reading the same lab results three times before they clicked. During a consultation, he had to force himself to concentrate, worried he’d miss a subtle symptom his patient was describing. By Wednesday, the exhaustion felt physical. The thought of his packed patient list, the mounting charting and administrative tasks, alongside the high-stakes risk of missing something all felt too overwhelming. 

He sent the message to his practice manager: “Not feeling well, going to take a sick day.” He knew it meant canceling a full day of patients and creating a backlog, but the thought of pushing through felt impossible. He hit send and felt the first moment of real relief he’d had all week.

Mark’s story highlights the workplace impacts of unaddressed mental health challenges. Employees like him often try to push through, showing up at work but unable to perform at their best (presenteeism), or needing to miss work entirely (absenteeism). Both quietly chip away not just at productivity and performance, but can also have safety and quality implications as well.

Productivity backed by science

Mark's story is common, but its impact on business has been hard to quantify. How do you measure the cost of lost focus or having to take days off due to mental exhaustion? Lyra’s new study answers that question. We asked thousands of employees receiving therapy from Lyra to report changes in their work impairment and productivity.

On average, employees who received care from Lyra:

• Gained four productive hours per week—the equivalent of half a workday, every week.
• Reduced overall work impairment by 31%, leading to fewer mistakes at work and generating higher quality work.
• Generated $4,806 in annual productivity gains for employers (per employee, per year)

Employees with the most severe challenges regained 17+ productive hours per week. That’s more than two full workdays, valued at  $20,882 per employee, per year.

Proof, not promises: the power of validated measurement

Numbers this significant demand a high standard of proof. To ensure accuracy, Lyra used the Lam Employment Absence and Productivity Scale (LEAPS)—a clinically validated measure built for assessing the impact of mental health on the workplace. 

LEAPS:

• Is designed for mental health. Unlike tools built for measuring physical functioning ("Can you lift a box?"), LEAPS asks relevant questions about motivation, concentration, mistakes, and trouble getting along with others due to the way someone is feeling.
• Captures the full picture. LEAPS doesn't estimate—employees report concrete numbers like hours missed, giving a full view of lost productivity.
• Provides trustworthy data. Using a validated tool designed for mental health ensures a reliable measure of your benefit’s true impact.

Help employees bring their best selves to work

Mental health care strengthens both well-being and performance. Behind every productivity gain is a person who finally feels better—and every hour regained is proof that better care means better business.