Also referred to as National Employee Wellness Month, Professional Wellness Month is celebrated annually in June. Professional Wellness Month aims to raise awareness about and promote physical and mental well-being in the workplace. This article will focus on the importance of mental health in the workplace, providing helpful information and ways to foster a professional environment that prioritizes mental well-being.
Mental Health Issues Affect Businesses and Their Employees
Poor mental health and stress can negatively affect employee:
- Job performance and productivity.
- Engagement with one’s work.
- Communication with coworkers.
- Physical capability and daily functioning.
Mental illnesses such as depression are associated with higher rates of disability and unemployment.
- Depression interferes with a person’s ability to complete physical job tasks about 20% of the time and reduces cognitive performance about 35% of the time.
- Only 57% of employees who report moderate depression and 40% of those who report severe depression receive treatment to control depression symptoms.
–CDC
The workplace is an optimal setting to create a culture of health because:
- Communication structures are already in place.
- Programs and policies come from one central team.
- Social support networks are available.
- Employers can offer incentives to reinforce healthy behaviors.
- Employers can use data to track progress and measure the effects.
Action steps employers can take include:
- Make mental health self-assessment tools available to all employees.
- Offer free or subsidized clinical screenings for depression from a qualified mental health professional, followed by directed feedback and clinical referral when appropriate.
- Offer health insurance with no or low out-of-pocket costs for depression medications and mental health counseling.
- Provide free or subsidized lifestyle coaching, counseling, or self-management programs.
- Distribute materials, such as brochures, fliers, and videos, to all employees about the signs and symptoms of poor mental health and opportunities for treatment.
- Host seminars or workshops that address depression and stress management techniques, like mindfulness, breathing exercises, and meditation, to help employees reduce anxiety and stress and improve focus and motivation.
- Create and maintain dedicated, quiet spaces for relaxation activities.
- Provide managers with training to help them recognize the signs and symptoms of stress and depression in team members and encourage them to seek help from qualified mental health professionals.
- Give employees opportunities to participate in decisions about issues that affect job stress.
Strategies for Managing Mental Health and Stress in the Workplace
Community leaders and businesses can:
- Promote mental health and stress management educational programs to working adults through public health departments, parks and recreational agencies, and community centers.
- Support community programs that indirectly reduce risks, for example, by increasing access to affordable housing, opportunities for physical activity (like sidewalks and trails), and tools to promote financial well-being.
- Create a system that employees, employers, and health care providers can use to find community-based programs that address mental health and stress management.
