The headlines in American media since the start of the year have been jarring: A terrorist attack in New Orleans on the first day of January, fatal and historic wildfires in Los Angeles, sweeping change and rollback of rights by the new Trump administration. And now, the country’s most deadly aviation incident in more than two decades, after a passenger plane collided Wednesday with a military helicopter, killing all on board both aircraft.

The news likely has many American employees “doomscrolling”—becoming absorbed in negative news, largely through social media—and the trend, experts say, is fueling an already growing mental health crisis that is affecting workplaces.

“The constant influx of various types of intense information can take a strong emotional toll, leaving us feeling heavy and struggling to accept reality, or wanting to distance or avoid these intense negative reactions,” says Dr. Rachel Radin, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral services at the University of California, San Francisco. “With headlines and information constantly bombarding us, it is easy to get overwhelmed by the uncertainty and negativity, and there is no doubt that that stress comes with us into the workplace.”

With doomscrolling linked to negative impacts on employee mental and physical health—which can, in turn, drag down productivity and engagement—Radin adds, it’s imperative that HR leaders help their workforces adopt healthier habits.

Doomscrolling: What is it, and why is it rising?

The concept of doomscrolling rose to prominence amid the COVID-19 pandemic “when our upended lives prodded us to relentlessly track the latest COVID casualties,” according to a recent report in Harvard Women’s Health Watch. As the fifth anniversary of the pandemic’s start quickly approaches, “we’re still living through tremendous social, political and economic unrest, and doomscrolling has emerged as an insidious threat to our minds and bodies,” Harvard experts say.

A 2022 study published in Health Communication found that problematic news consumption led to “significantly” higher risk for poor mental and physical health.

Yet, doomscrolling is pervasive. A study released last year from Be Present—an app that aims to help users curb unhealthy technology reliance—found that nearly three-quarters of Americans surveyed acknowledge using their phone “too much,” which they admit negatively impacts their sleep and drives up anxiety.

Unsurprisingly, it’s an issue most affecting younger workers: Be Present found that 83% of Gen Z individuals surveyed say they have an “unhealthy” relationship with their phones, a nearly 10-point increase over the average for other generations. Twenty percent of Gen Zers surveyed spend more than eight hours a day on their phone.

While about one-quarter of survey respondents said they use their phones to consume news, nearly a third said the recent presidential election increased their reliance on the technology for headlines.

“There is a clear ripple effect,” Radin says. “Stress impacts work, especially stress that is related to the political landscape.”

Amy Cappellanti-Wolf, chief people officer at global people platform Dayforce, told HR Executive that recent news headlines likely made this year’s Blue Monday—marked the third week in January and considered to be the annual peak of American unhappiness—particularly challenging for employees.

“The economic and geopolitical uncertainties of today amplify the stress employees commonly face during this time of year,” she says.

Choosing mindfulness, mental health support instead of doomscrolling

January’s news headlines were hard to get away from—and likely drove more Americans to seek mental health assistance in the last few weeks, found ComPsych, a provider of employee mental health services. In the days following Trump’s inauguration, the firm observed a 27% increase in employees reaching out for help, compared to the week prior. In particular, ComPsych saw a 33% jump in the number of people seeking help with stress or anxiety and a 20% increase in those looking for assistance with depression.

Directing employees to supportive mental health resources will be key in helping to mitigate the risks of rising stress on individual and organizational outcomes, says Radin, who notes that chronic stress has been linked to burnout, absenteeism and decreased productivity.

“To mitigate this, we must teach leaders and employees alike how to manage stressful situations and commit to fostering work environments that put mental health first,” Radin says.

One means of doing so is by connecting workers to tools that help them focus on mindfulness.

Radin was among researchers who recently published a study in the Journal of American Medicine about the impact of mindfulness meditation interventions through the app Headspace. The study of more than 1,400 employees found “meaningful decreases” in anxiety, depression and perceived stress by program participants, plus boosts in engagement at work and reduction of burnout—even by those who only used the app for five minutes a day.

“For HR leaders and benefits decision-makers,” Radin says, “these results provide compelling evidence that integrating mindfulness programs into workplace wellness initiatives can yield long-term benefits for both employees and the organization as a whole.”

Beyond offering access to apps like Headspace, HR can encourage employees to practice meditation and mindfulness through workshops and educational efforts, while also embracing flexible work that helps employees prioritize healthy behaviors.

It’s also incumbent upon HR to ensure managers are well-trained to support employees’ mental health. Radin points to a recent report from Headspace that found nearly half of employees surveyed depend on their managers for mental health support, yet less than one-quarter of HR professionals surveyed said their organizations train management for such capabilities.

“There is an opportunity to better equip leaders with the tools they need to support their employees,” Radin says, noting that managers and leaders can also model healthy behaviors when it comes to balancing news consumption and attention to mental health.

“Setting a good example by carrying out such practices, and ensuring that leaders are informed and well-equipped with the right resources,” Radin says, “are powerful ways to demonstrate to employees the importance of not only creating a culture of wellbeing but also sustaining it.”