|
Ohio Can Revolutionize Our Understanding of Mental Health. Fund the SOAR study. | Opinion
Jane Grote Abell and Pat Tiberi
Guest Columnists
- Jane Grote Abell is a founding family member, executive chairwoman and chief purpose officer at Donatos Pizza.
- Pat Tiberi, the U.S. representative for Ohio's 12th Congressional District from 2001 to 2018, is the president and CEO of the Ohio Business Roundtable.
We’ve seen firsthand the toll that untreated mental illness and substance use disorders take on our teams, our companies and our communities.
Mental health challenges cost the global economy over $1 trillion annually. In the U.S. alone, depression and anxiety are responsible for 12 billion lost workdays each year.
And yet, the stigma persists. Our lack of understanding is holding us back.
The SOAR (State of Ohio Adversity and Resilience) study — funded through the generosity of Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio Legislature and led by Ohio State University with university and health system partners across the state — aims to change that.
This first-of-its-kind, multigenerational research initiative launched in 2024 seeks to uncover the biological, psychological, environmental and social underpinnings of mental health and addiction — and to significantly reduce deaths from suicide and overdose.
Think of it as a Framingham Heart Study for the mind. Just as the seven-decade Framingham study taught us much of what we know today about preventing cardiovascular deaths, SOAR has the potential to revolutionize suicide prevention and mental health care for decades to come.
When we first learned about the SOAR study, we both had the same thought: It’s about time.
The study represents a pivotal moment for Ohio to lead in mental health research, but data alone won’t drive change. True progress will require strong business voices advocating for solutions that reach beyond labs and policy briefs and into cubicles, breakrooms and Zoom calls.
People thrive with mental health support
Business leaders have a responsibility — and an opportunity.
At Donatos, our family business has prioritized mental health since 1990, when we launched an employee assistance program decades before such programs were common.
We’ve worked with team members navigating crises and trauma, and we’ve seen how people can thrive when they have access to mental health support. During the COVID pandemic, when emotional strain reached new heights, we added virtual therapy options for our associates and a paid sabbatical for our district and general managers.
It was the right thing to do — and it was good for business.
Helping employees with mental issues is good business
Three out of four people with mental health or substance use disorders are currently employed.
Replacing them is costly. Supporting them is an investment.
One of our managers, after 35 years of service, nearly left due to the emotional toll of the pandemic. Instead, we offered him a sabbatical to recover, and he returned ready to lead again. Multiply that story by hundreds of thousands, and you begin to understand the ROI of compassion.
At the Ohio Business Roundtable, we’ve heard from dozens of employers who see the same thing. Mental health issues show up as absenteeism, stress, turnover and lost productivity.
But too many small businesses, constrained by resources or insurance policies, struggle to provide the care their teams need.
This is where the public and private sectors must work together.
According to the Health Policy Institute of Ohio’s 2024 Health Value Dashboard, our state ranks 44th in health value. That’s unacceptable.
If we can’t do better by our people, we can’t expect them to do better for our businesses.
The SOAR study gives us a once-in-a-generation chance to learn what drives resilience and adversity. But the state must continue to fund this critical study, and business leaders must be ready to act on its findings — with policies, resources and partnerships that treat mental health with the urgency and dignity it deserves.
As one expert put it, mental health doesn’t just affect one in five Americans — it affects five out of five.
It’s not just your employee. It’s their spouse, their child, their coworker and you.
We encourage the Ohio Senate to support the governor's proposal and fully fund the SOAR study. We urge corporate and civic leaders across the state to join us in this request.
Mental health is good business. And it’s time we treat it that way.
Jane Grote Abell is a founding family member, executive chairwoman and chief purpose officer at Donatos Pizza.
Pat Tiberi, the U.S. representative for Ohio's 12th Congressional District from 2001 to 2018, is the president and CEO of the Ohio Business Roundtable. |
