Importance of Discussing Mental Health at the Workplace

 “What will happen if I tell my boss that I’m facing difficulty in concentrating on my work”, “Will I lose the job if I took sick leaves due to my panic attacks?” These are the concerns of people who are struggling with their mental health and are hesitant to discuss it with their coworkers and supervisors since they have never heard any healing words regarding mental well-being from them.

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During service, the employees may face multiple circumstances, like job insecurity, performance pressure, financial constraints, poor management, a disrespectful environment, biased decisions, humiliating behaviors, nepotism, lack of incentives, delayed promotions, etc. Only a few can cope with these situations while most of them get affected in some way. Disturbed mental health is the major striking effect of these hitches which may start from anxiety ending in major depression as well as incapability for the requisite job. A study reveals that 43% of absenteeism has been observed due to mental health issues which can prove to be a significant loss for any company, set-up, or organization.

The necessity of mental wellness:

Mental health and human performance are intertwined therefore being mentally well is the core requirement to perform any task; a person in good mental health will complete the assigned task with greater efficiency. In addition, mental strength allows one to handle and cope with day-to-day challenges within an organization, resulting in optimal performance. On the contrary, deprived and neglected workmanship may conclude in a massive failure. Hence, mental health SOPs should be implemented not as a formality, but as a true ‘Necessity’.

The stigma of Mental Health:

Despite the importance of mental stability, it’s still taboo for managers to talk about mental health with their employees. It leads to an environment where workers don’t know how to discuss their mental ailments with their employers. They try to forego their problems and keep on going with that lacking which may further magnify the illness. According to statistics, just over half (54%) of people with mental health problems do not seek treatment. The longer a person waits to get therapy, the more likely they are to take leaves, which has serious consequences for the employee, team, and workplace.

 

Dealing with it:

Management should initiate mental health awareness programs to eliminate the stigma. They should build a positive and productive environment to reduce the risk factors of employees’ mental disturbance. Managers should also acknowledge the phenomenon of mental illness in the way they treat physical illness, they would not tell a person with a broken leg, “It’s not a big deal, just keep working” instead they would ask him to take rest till cure. Furthermore, they should check on employees’ well-being and have frequent conversations with them. On any discrepancy, listening to the problem and showing empathy will be the best approach to resolve the issue. If a manager responds that “someone in my family feels this way too, I can understand” after hearing a worker with anxiety, he will feel more at ease than if he says “now I know why you weren’t working well” or “you are not appropriate for the team.”

Any of us can face mental health problems, which may lead to decreased productivity and motivation to work. Workplaces that promote and support employees’ psychological health and well-being, remove stigma early on, and encourage people to seek treatment. Absenteeism, employee attrition, and psychological claims are expected to be lower in these organizations.

Ironically, the importance of ‘Mental Health’ in the workplace has not been evoked earlier in third-world communities. Sihatyab online forum has formally taken the challenge. We are readily available to address all the correlated issues with practical suggestions through our panel of experts, around the clock.