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Key points
- Mental health leave has sharply increased in the U.S. since the pandemic.
- Women, especially caregivers, account for the majority of mental health leaves.
- Access to mental health leave highlights structural inequalities in the workplace.
- Early, ongoing treatment with an established provider can support the mental health leave process.
Nearly 1 in 5adults has experienced a mental illness, making them the most common health conditions in the U.S. Mental health conditions are characterized by a clinically significant disturbance in cognition, emotional regulation, or behavior and can cause distress or impairment in important areas of functioning, such as work
When mental health symptoms become severe enough to impair your ability to perform the functions of your job, a mental health leave of absence may be an option for treatment and recovery
Leave For Mental Health Conditions
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave annually to address mental health conditions. Eligible employees may take FMLA leave for their own “serious health condition,” or to care for a spouse, child, or parent because of their serious health condition
An employee can be eligible for a leave of absence for mental health reasons if it meets the definition of a “serious health condition” under FMLA guidelines, such as requiring inpatient treatment or continuing treatment by a healthcare provider for the treatment of chronic conditions (e.g., major depressive disorder) that require ongoing treatment. Although stress and burnout can contribute to mental health conditions, they are not medical diagnoses under FMLA and would not qualify someone for protected leave on their own. Eligibility depends on the presence and severity of symptoms, and on whether a healthcare provider determines that treatment is medically necessary.
While FMLA protects the right to take leave, it does not guarantee paid leave. Many states and/or companies go beyond this federal protection by offering additional benefits, such as structured paid leave, partial pay, or additional time. Employees considering leave should review both applicable state laws and their employer’s policies to understand available benefits, eligibility requirements, and procedures for requesting leave
Who is Taking Leave?
Mental health leaves are no longer uncommon. According to a recent report by ComPsych, a provider of mental health and absence management services, leaves of absence increased 30 percent from 2019 to 2024, with an astounding 300 percent increase in mental health leaves within this same time frame. In a press release, ComPsych CEO Paul Posey was quoted as saying, “The pandemic fundamentally reset norms in absence management for employers. In the ‘new normal,’ we’re seeing elevated levels of leave across the board, and especially for mental health.” This trend reflects a growing recognition that psychological health deserves the same attention as physical health and that taking time away from work can be an important part of recovery.
Yet the rise in mental health leaves has not occurred equally across the workforce. Women are disproportionately driving the increase in mental health leaves, particularly during the years that coincide with prime career years as well as parenting and caring for family members
Additional 2023 data provided by ComPsych reported that almost 70 percent of mental health leaves were taken by women. Of these, millennial women accounted for 33 percent, and Gen X women accounted for 30 percent. Further support for this gender disparity was found in a 2025 report,which cited that caregiving strain is the strongest predictor of burnout and of leaving a job, especially among women 10 to 15 years into their careers
These findings underscore how psychological distress and burnout are often shaped not by individual factors, but by competing demands across work and family. These workplace trends reflect the broader call to find ways to support parents in the workplace to reduce the burden of parental stress, particularly for mothers
- What Is a Career
- Take our Ambition Test
- Find a career counsellor near me
Limitations and Barriers to Taking Mental Health Leave
It is important to highlight a few major limitations within the conversation about who takes mental health leave. First, the ability to take mental health leave is itself a form of privilege, as it often depends on having stable, documented employment with benefits and legal protections. Workers in undocumented, contract, informal, or unstable employment settings are likely also to experience psychological distress but lack access to protected leave. Consequently, structural inequities can unintentionally overlook who is afforded time away from work and who isn’t.
Additionally, many people who take mental health leave are coded under short-term disability, FMLA, medical leave, or general disability categories. As such, there is no robust national database that specifically tracks mental health leave, so numbers are unclear and likely to be underestimated
Even when employees qualify for leave, they may hesitate to use it. Concerns about being viewed as less committed, fear of career repercussions, financial strain, or mental health stigma may prevent employees from formally taking leave and/or seeking help for a mental health condition
However, just as someone would (hopefully) not hesitate to seek treatment after a serious physical injury, addressing a mental health disorder deserves the same level of care. Early intervention not only supports recovery but can also reduce the likelihood that symptoms worsen over time
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Should You Consider Mental Health Leave?
A mental health leave may be worth discussing with a qualified healthcare provider if mental health symptoms are causing you significant distress and are impairing your ability to function at work or in daily life. Potential signs can include:
- Persistent feelings of intense worry or anxiety
- Trouble concentrating, making decisions, or performing job responsibilities
- Intense fear and panic
- Little interest or pleasure in doing things
- Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless
- Thoughts of harm to self
If you think you may need to go out on a mental health leave, it is important to establish care with a qualified mental health provider as early as possible rather than waiting until you are in crisis or ready to contact your employer regarding leave. Developing a therapeutic relationship allows your provider to conduct a comprehensive assessment, understand how symptoms are impacting your functioning, and recommend an appropriate course of treatment. If a leave of absence is clinically indicated, your provider will then be better positioned to complete the required documentation.
Takeaways
Post-pandemic mental health symptoms continue to rise and women, particularlyworking mothers, may represent one of the largest groups silently carrying unmet mental health needs within the workforce. Alongside this growing psychological strain is a sharp increase in the use of mental health leave, reflecting a broader structural shift in symptom management
Current workplace data suggest that mental health leave is no longer uncommon; rather, it is an increasingly visible and needed part of the modern employment landscape to support the ongoing well-being of our workforce
