A commentary on Thomas et al. (2024): How high achievers and hypercompetitive cultures may be inadvertently dissuading mental health offering usage

Thomas et al. (2024) contribute to research and practice by providing a standardized taxonomy of workplace mental health (MH) resources, a much-needed step toward systematically addressing employee well-being in modern organizations. Yet, its effectiveness hinges on understanding the barriers that prevent certain employees from utilizing these resources. In line with Thomas et al.’s call for research to identify the “factors that (1) limit workers’ using and (2) foster workers’ using the MH offerings in their workplaces” (p. 24), we draw attention to a critical segment of the workforce that often goes overlooked in conversations surrounding MH: high achievers. Specifically, we argue that high-achieving employees have unique considerations, needs, and challenges surrounding their MH that can impede MH support utilization. Moreover, given these individuals’ impactful role in organizations’ success and cultures, attending to the unique considerations of this population is of paramount concern. We elaborate on how organizations and leaders may be exacerbating high achievers’ MH challenges and thwarting support utilization, as well as how high achievers themselves may perpetuate this damage. We also discuss the MH offerings from Thomas et al.’s taxonomy that are likely to be most beneficial to high achievers and, thus, hopefully attenuate the potential damage done to themselves and others.