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Mental health in the workplace

One in five people in the workplace will experience a mental health condition. Learn to spot the signs and the steps that you can take to care for yourself and your colleagues.

One in five people in the workplace will experience a mental health condition, causing over 70 million working days to be lost each year. Managing mental health conditions (such as stress, anxiety, depression and obsessive–compulsive disorder) remains a challenge, despite the recent efforts of many companies to implement policies to support a healthy workforce.

As well as affecting individuals, poor mental health has a severe negative impact on employers, including increased staff turnover, absence, exhaustion, lack of motivation and decreased productivity. The loss to the economy, along with supporting people with mental health conditions, is thought to cost €240 billion per year in Europe.

Mental health is still a taboo subject, and many people may feel scared and confused about confronting the issue at work. To help end this stigma, the World Health Organization recognises World Mental Health Day on the 10th of October every year to promote education and awareness about mental health. The theme for 2017 (set by the World Federation for Mental Health) is mental health in the workplace.

Here are some common signs that someone (including yourself) may be struggling with their mental health at work:

Spotting one or two of these signs does not always mean there is an underlying health issue. However, it is always important to look after yourself and try to make your workplace mentally healthier. The New Economics Foundation pinpointed five essential steps to improving well-being on a daily basis (see below), and these are a great way to start thinking about how you can improve your daily working life and ensure you get your ‘five a day’.

At Porterhouse Medical, we take pride in working together as a family, fuelled not only by hard work but also by humour and happiness. As well as being a registered Mindful Employer, we arranged an in-house mental health awareness training day in February 2017 to increase the support and awareness of employee well-being at work. We recognise that employees need a flexible work–life balance and the chance to relax and enjoy themselves, and we organise monthly social events to promote togetherness and help keep the Porterhouse community well connected.

We understand that poor mental health can affect anyone, on any day of the year, and we are happy to show our support for #WorldMentalHealthDay.

Here are some useful links on how to spread the word and get involved:

Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk/get-involved/
Mental Health: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/get-involved
World Federation for Mental Health: https://www.wfmh.global/wmhd-2017/

References ·
Mind. Top tips for staying well at work. Available at: https://www.mind.org.uk/workplace/mental-health-at-work/taking-care-of-yourself/tips-for-employees/. Accessed October 2017. ·
Mental Health Foundation. Managing mental health in the workplace. Available at: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/managing-mental-health-workplace. Accessed October 2017. ·         European Network For Workplace Health Promotion. A guide for employers: To promote mental health in the workplace. Available at: http://www.enwhp.org/fileadmin/downloads/8th_Initiative/MentalHealth_Broschuere_Arbeitgeber.pdf. Accessed October 2017. ·
Fit for Work. Mental health problems. Available at: https://fitforwork.org/employee/taking-a-leave-of-absence/causes-of-absence/mental-health-problems/. Accessed October 2017.