In the U.S alone, almost half of adults will experience mental illness in their lifetime. Mental health issues are as real and dangerous as any other chronic health concern. Unfortunately, the stigma that surrounds mental health issues makes it harder to diagnose and treat. Mental health issues can be even more difficult to handle when you’re working a full-time job and trying to manage the demands of life.
Job stress can create or worsen mental health issues. This can impact businesses and their employees in a number of ways. Some specific aspects of employee performance affected negatively by mental health issues are:
- Job performance and productivity
- Work engagement
- Communication with coworkers
There are additional risks to mental health that can arise from the workplace. Some of those additional risks are:
- Inadequate health and safety policies
- Poor communication between staff and managers
- Having little control over one’s area of work
- Lack of support
- Inflexible working hours and expectations
- Disorganization and unclear tasks
The best approach for creating a positive environment and healthy workplace begins with minimizing the stigma surrounding mental health issues. Employers play a vital role in creating a supportive and understanding workplace environment. Here are a few steps you can take to create a workplace that supports mental health for all employees:
Create a workplace culture with a foundation of trust. Mental health issues are hard to talk about. It’s also important to take into account that mental health issues can make it difficult for employees to talk about job related concerns and work load stress. Mental illness can also impact the way people communicate their concerns. It’s important that people feel safe to talk about job stress.
Talking about mental health, stress management, and self-care openly and freely will help make people feel comfortable talking about any issues or concerns. Make wellness a workplace priority. Encourage positivity and support employees by making mental health as important as physical health.
Get trained in mental health first aid. Often, first aid training is mandatory for certain workplaces. The same level of importance should be placed on mental health first aid training!