It’s officially Mental Health Awareness Month, and we’re excited to highlight the ways our company takes action to prioritize employee mental health and psychological safety.
We all know what mental health is, but what is psychological safety, and why is it important?
According to the American Psychological Association 2024 Work in America Survey, when there is psychological safety in the workplace, employees feel comfortable sharing their concerns and asking questions; they also tend to trust and respect their colleagues.1
An interesting finding of the survey was that psychological safety was also linked to employers who provide sufficient mental health resources.1
As a leader in the healthcare industry, we’re proud to offer our team tools to elevate not only their physical health but their mental and emotional well-being, too. In doing so, we strive to ensure all our employees feel valued and safe.
Here are six key mental health resources we offer at our largest facility and global headquarters in Salt Lake City, UT.
Free Counseling & Coaching Sessions
Merit partners with Modern Health, a free benefit offered to Merit Salt Lake employees—and all employees in the United States—that is separate from their insurance plan. An evidence-based, global mental health solution, it offers Merit employees and dependents eight free counseling sessions and ten skills-enhancement coaching sessions (per covered dependent).
Advantages include easy booking through the Modern Health app, fast appointment-scheduling (commonly within 24 hours), and the ability to filter therapists by need.
Also on the app, employees can find other free resources to help them develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle, including self-help content and daily meditations.
Wellness Talks
The key to improved mental health is increasing awareness. Every month, we hold employee wellness talks at our Salt Lake facility that target different health topics.
In May, our focus is mental health, and we’re partnering with Modern Health to offer the following wellness talk, How Mental Health Impacts Us All, on May 20, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. MDT. The talk is virtual, so Merit employees worldwide can join.
Meditation Room
Taking even a few minutes to meditate can have a positive impact on mental health. Benefits include building skills to help manage stress as well as symptoms of anxiety and depression, boosting creativity, and more.2
At our Salt Lake City campus, we offer a meditation room, a place where employees can go to experience a stress-free environment. Equipped with yoga mats and a tranquil waterfall, employees can use the room to meditate on their breaks, pray, stretch, or simply enjoy the quiet.
Employee Garden
Also at our Salt Lake City campus, employees can visit and participate in the on-site garden. Mental health benefits of gardening include stress reduction, enhanced mood, and improved cognitive function.3 Research has also shown that high intake of fruits and vegetables may promote increased levels of optimism and protect against symptoms of depression.4
Merit employees can have their own raised bed to tend or help with weeding in the main garden in exchange for fresh produce. Educational and social events are also held regularly at the garden for employees to enjoy.
Nutrition Programs
In addition to increasing access to fresh fruits and vegetables through the garden, our Salt Lake campus offers nutrition counseling at our on-site clinic.
Studies have shown that healthy eating patterns are linked to better mental health, and that what we eat can affect gut microbiome, which in turn may play a role in our mood.5
Employees are counseled by a registered dietitian, together working toward a nutrition plan to improve both mental and physical health. Additionally, our Merit Salt Lake cafeteria offers a free, dietitian-designed Healthy Choice meal each day for our team to enjoy—often featuring produce grown in our employee garden.
Walking Path
Walking doesn’t only benefit physical health. Data show that adults who achieve even half the recommended amount of physical activity per week—which equates to about 75 minutes of brisk walking—lowered the risk of depression by 18% in comparison to adults who reported no physical activity.6
We want to make it easy for our employees to stay active during the workday. That’s why we paved a 1-mile walking path on our Salt Lake campus. Employees are encouraged to hold meetings while walking as well as use the path to walk on their breaks. Along the mile route, there are signs with motivational quotes and health information for employees to read.
At Merit, we value employee health, and we’re committed to offering the resources our team needs to thrive in the workplace.
Get to know our other values in the Merit Way, and if you’re looking for a career where your well-being is prioritized, browse openings here.
References
1. American Psychological Association. 2024. “2024 Work in America Survey: Psychological Safety in the Changing Workplace.” Accessed Feb. 14, 2025.
2. Mayo Clinic. 2023. “Meditation: A Simple Fast Way to Reduce Stress.” Last modified Dec. 14, 2023. Accessed Feb. 14, 2025.
3. Corporate Wellness Magazine. n.d. “Corporate Wellness: The Benefits of Employee Gardening Programs.” Accessed Feb. 14, 2025.
4. Głąbska et al. 2020. “Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Mental Health in Adults: A Systematic Review.” Nutrients 12, no. 1 (Jan): 115. Accessed Feb. 14, 2025. doi: 10.3390/nu12010115.
5. Firth et al. 2020. “Food and Mood: How Do Diet and Nutrition Affect Mental Well-Being?” BMJ 29, no. 369 (Jun): m2382. Accessed Feb. 14, 2025. doi: 10.1136/bmj.m2382.
6. DeAngelis. 2022. “Want to Boost Your Mental Health? Take a Walk.” Am Psychol 53, no. 8 (Nov): 80. Accessed Feb. 14, 2025.