Mental health and wellness concerns are at the forefront of business leaders’ minds like never before. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, many people are dealing with anxiety, depression, isolation and stress – and those feelings don’t disappear once they come to work.

Though millions of Americans are confronting these issues, stigma about them persists in the workplace. This is especially true in the government contracting industry, which employs many veterans. Both the military and the cleared communities have a long history of not talking about, and subsequently, not addressing the mental health needs of its personnel.

GDIT President Amy Gilliland recently talked with Washington Technology editor Nick Wakeman about why mental health is a business imperative at GDIT. As a people business, Gilliland says it’s essential to make mental health a priority and to signal to employees that their mental wellbeing is important to the company and to the missions we support. Moreover, having national security personnel who are mentally and physically at their best is in the interest of national security.