Mental health conversations are finally becoming more open in both our personal lives and the workplace. That is a good thing. For far too long, mental health struggles were hidden, misunderstood, or treated separately from overall wellness.

As a mother, this subject is deeply personal to me.

My son struggled for years with alcoholism, drug addiction, and significant mental health challenges. Like many families facing similar situations, there were difficult days filled with fear, uncertainty, and heartbreak. Watching someone you love battle addiction and emotional pain can make you feel helpless.

But there is also hope.

Today, my son has been clean and sober for more than eight years. His mental health improved dramatically once he removed alcohol and drugs from his life. One of the biggest turning points in his recovery was when he no longer needed psychiatric medications and could begin rebuilding his life with clarity, stability, and purpose.

What I learned through that journey is something I believe directly applies to claims and workers’ compensation, disability management, and return-to-work discussions:

Mental health recovery is rarely about one single solution. It is about rebuilding the whole person.

The workplace often focuses on diagnoses, restrictions, medications, and timelines. Those things matter. But real recovery also involves sleep, nutrition, movement, social connection, routine, stress reduction, and purpose.

A recent presentation titled “30 Days to Move the Needle — Deep Dive” by Justin Goodman highlighted several evidence-based lifestyle strategies shown to improve mental wellness, including proper sleep, walking, reducing processed foods, gratitude practices, social connection, nervous system regulation, and addressing nutritional deficiencies.

None of these are miracle cures. But together, they create a foundation for resilience.

That matters in claims that involve injuries. 

When someone is injured, they are often dealing with far more than physical pain. Many experience fear, financial stress, disrupted sleep, anxiety, depression, isolation, or even substance dependency tied to the injury itself. The longer someone remains disconnected from normal routines, work, social interaction, and movement, the harder recovery can become.

At the same time, mental health claims introduce another sensitive issue that claims professionals, attorneys, employers, and copy services frequently navigate — medical privacy.

In California, mental health records receive some of the strongest privacy protections in the country. Unlike ordinary medical records, psychiatric and psychotherapy records are protected under both federal HIPAA regulations and California’s Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA), along with California Evidence Code protections surrounding the psychotherapist-patient privilege.

In most situations, these records cannot simply be requested because a claim exists. A properly executed authorization signed by the patient is generally required before release.

However, there are situations where mental health records may become discoverable during litigation.

Under California Evidence Code §1016, when an injured worker places their mental or emotional condition directly at issue in a claim, certain protections may be partially waived. This can occur in psychiatric injury claims, stress-related claims, emotional distress allegations, or when someone claims they cannot work because of a psychological condition.

Even then, discoverability is not unlimited.

California courts typically attempt to balance the need for relevant information against the individual’s constitutional right to privacy. Courts often narrow disclosure to records directly related to the conditions being claimed, particularly because psychotherapy notes and therapist communications receive heightened protection under California law.

That balance matters.

People should never feel that seeking mental health treatment automatically means every deeply personal conversation will become public. Protecting confidential treatment relationships encourages people to seek care earlier, remain engaged in treatment, and stabilize more successfully.

At the same time, when psychological conditions are being affirmatively claimed as part of litigation, there are legitimate circumstances where certain records become relevant to evaluating causation, treatment, disability, apportionment, and return-to-work considerations.

These are sensitive issues that require thoughtful handling by all parties involved.

Returning an injured worker to work is not simply about reducing indemnity exposure or closing a file.

It is about restoring structure, confidence, dignity, purpose, and human connection.

Work itself can become part of recovery.

Of course, every situation is different. Some individuals require counseling, medications, structured treatment programs, or long-term psychiatric care. Serious mental health conditions should always be evaluated and treated by qualified professionals. Lifestyle strategies are not replacements for appropriate medical care.

But I believe our industry has an opportunity to think more holistically.

What if recovery discussions included sleep hygiene?

What if walking programs, nutrition education, and social engagement were encouraged alongside treatment plans?

What if we recognized that isolation and inactivity can worsen emotional distress?

What if return-to-work programs were viewed not only as cost-containment tools, but as pathways back to emotional wellness and stability?

As someone who has witnessed recovery firsthand within my own family, I can say this with confidence:

People can recover.

People can rebuild.

People can regain purpose.

And sometimes the smallest daily habits become the first steps toward getting their lives back.

That is not just good for claims outcomes.

It is good for people.

D. Diann Cohen is vice president of client services and dean of education at Macro-Pro Inc.