Nearly 200 million people around the world are feeling more stressed, and the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened this problem. Gallup’s 2020 Negative Experience Index revealed that 40% of respondents experienced an elevated level of stress compared to the previous 15 years, and 2021 certainly didn’t do us any favors. Employers know that COVID has raised the levels of stress, anxiety, social isolation, and depression across the globe. With many people continuing to social distance by avoiding large gatherings that could infect them with new coronavirus variants, stress levels are only amplified. In addition, the ups and downs of COVID infection rates and dashed hopes of wanting to see extended family and friends have left people feeling down. Another leading cause of stress is weighing whether work environments are safe enough to warrant a full return to the office as opposed to working remotely or with a hybrid schedule as businesses contemplate how they can meet objectives while accounting for the overall health needs of employees.

It’s time to end the stigma surrounding mental health in the LGBTQ community and acknowledge the millions who struggle with intolerance and suffer in silence.