Unmet Mental Health Needs Among California Workers Since the Start of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE:We sought to identify worker groups with high prevalence of unmet mental health needs to inform employer benefits programs and outreach to increase access to care. METHODS:We conducted a repeated cross-sectional study to understand unmet mental health needs among workers since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic using California Health Interview Survey data from 2013-2021. RESULTS:In 2021, 23.4% (CI: 22.4-24.4) reported unmet mental health needs, an absolute increase of 3.9% from 2019. Relative increases were highest among workers in the information industries (prevalence ratio [PR]: 1.89, CI: 1.4-2.5) and older workers (PR: 1.27, CI: 0.9-1.8). Increases in needing help were not met with comparable increases in seeking care. CONCLUSIONS:Unmet mental health needs increased for California workers during the pandemic. Employers should dedicate resources and implement strategies to increase access to care and promote worker well-being.