Mental Health in the Workplace

Health, When we hear “wellness,” most of us envision physical wellness, such as eating healthy, getting our steps in, ensuring we sleep for 7-8 hours each night etc. But “wellness” has evolved far beyond physical wellbeing to include spiritual, financial, emotional and mental wellbeing.

These diverse elements of wellbeing are often interconnected and influence each other, like physical health affecting mental wellbeing (and in reverse). A physical illness that is causing you to suffer can lead to depression. Anxiety can cause frequent nausea and headaches. It’s the same for other forms of  However, the most obvious connection is between mental and physical health.

With 1 in 5 individuals with mental illness during a particular year, the issue affects people, their loved ones, and their affiliated organisations. The question is: are companies prepared to help support their employees’ mental health and promote their physical health?

The effect of mental health on both individuals and organisations organisations organisations organisations.

Many companies offer wellness programs, including preventative health treatment such as smoking cessation programs, fitness initiatives, and weight-control programs. These programs are excellent at improving physical health and well-being. However, many employers struggle to address well-being and mental health.

Some employees may have mental illness or care for a spouse or loved one. Consider the stress they’re under. This pressure doesn’t stop when they get to work, but they carry it around. If companies understand this, we stand a greater chance of helping individuals achieve their highest potential.

Understanding the effect of mental  on employees can also positively impact the performance of businesses. Not addressing mental health issues at work can cost companies billions of dollars each year in the absence (absence at the workplace) and absenteeism (reduced efficiency at the workplace). Additionally, there are increased costs for healthcare that can range from $79-105 billion per year for businesses.

Then, there are the difficulties companies must confront when addressing mental health issues and mental illness, including stigma and privacy.

We are beginning the conversation.

Recognising that mental can be challenging to discuss within most workplaces, the TiER1 leadership team 2015 started looking at ways to raise awareness of mental health and lessen stigma by having conversations within the workplace. With guidance and input from NAMI Southwestern Ohio, the Linder Center of Hope and NAMI Southwestern Ohio, we began a month-long project at TiER1 known as”Start the Conversation.

Dr. Keck, CEO of the Lindner Center of Hope, described companies’ experience as “truly revolutionary.” Before beginning the program, 94% of TiER1 participants were affected (either directly or indirectly) by mental health issues. What colleagues’ reactions to confronting this challenging personal and emotional problem needed to be clarified? The risks were fantastic; however, the rewards boosted our trust culture and mutual support.

46% of participants talked to someone not part of TiER1 regarding the TiER1 program and then started an open discussion about mental illness.

More than 60 per cent of participants heightened their awareness of mental health issues, spoke with a coworker and spoke with someone who was for the first time regarding their mental health.

The experience of bringing awareness to mental  in our work environment and to others has made me realise that everyone has a battle to fight. Every person is affected by mental health issues in a certain way. In our journey, we realised realised realised realised that there’s a more significant need for sharing than we think. People are eager to share their experiences and help others. To do this, they must have confidence.

Leaders of organisations can build trust by creating a space where people can talk about what they’re going through and feel that their struggles are recognised and acknowledged. To achieve this, they must support and understand people with mental illness. It’s a problematic area, but when leaders begin by being vulnerable and honest about their own experiences, they can normalise the concept and create trust among employees to have discussions. This is not just a way to become better leaders for people directly affected by mental  issues. Still, it also aids in reducing the negative impact of mental illness on the company.

Here are some steps you can take to start conversations in your workplace.

Awareness.

A greater awareness of mental health will increase empathy among your employees. To promote a culture of support within your company, look into off-the-shelf products like the ICU Program by the Center for Workplace Mental Health.The Center for Workplace Mental Health has modified the program to allow it to be used by other employers.

Education.

Many non-profit organisations provide free educational resources that help companies inform their employees of the symptoms and signs of mental health problems. For instance, the Center for Workplace Mental Health offers an exclusive off-the-shelf education program on depression called Right Direction. Right Direction is an initiative which gives employers the tools necessary to tackle depression, in particular within the workplace. It provides turnkey, customised customised customised customised resources and tools to raise awareness, decrease stigma, and inspire family members and employees to seek help whenever needed. I suggest looking into other organisations, such as Mental  America and the National Alliance for Mental Illness.

Support.

Everyone must have access to assistance for addressing their mental health issues. It is important to include mental health benefits within your health insurance packages. Mental Health America and other organisations organisations organisations organisations offer resources and guidance to help you find support.

We are talking about mental health issues in the workplace.

Three years after I started the discussion about mental health in TiER1, I can still observe the positive effect it has brought to our culture and staff. Team members continue to share their stories, resources, and messages of encouragement via the internal platform for social media, Yammer. The respect and trust I’ve witnessed in our team is astounding.

Leaders can show they care about their employees and are aware of their organisation’s impact on mental health and wellbeing. Please set an example of being open, vulnerable, compassionate and supportive of your employees’ wellbeing and mental health. The relationships you build with your employees improve, but your company will also thrive.