Caring for you. Caring for our Communities. Since 1987
Mental Health in the Workplace and How to Support it Kelsi Baine, MSc. CCC. Executive Director, Counsellor
Presentation outline: What is mental health anyway? How is it different from mental illness? Why is talking about it so important? Workplace psychological health and safety. Employee mental health: impact on the workplace. Workplace health and safety: impact on employees. Resources for improving the mental health and safety of your workplace.
There is so much more to health and safety than our bodies. Our mind is precious and controls our body, our choices, and our reactions. Lets keep it safe too!
What is mental health anyway? What do you think? Give me some right and some wrong answers! What does the stigma say?
Mental health is KEY to well-being. How we feel, think, act, and interact in our world. Our ability to be our best, thrive. Coping well with life, and contributing to our community. Not about avoidance of problems or achieving perfection. Feeling good and feeling capable despite challenges. Bigger than the presence or absence of mental illness. www.cmha.ca
Signs that Kelsi has excellent Mental health: Good self esteem and confidence. Strong and supportive connections and relationships. Self care practices to nurture a healthy body and mind. Able to take stressful situations in stride. Resilient! Overall positive attitude about self, others, and life. Can put negative thoughts aside when they pop up. Laughter. Purpose. Love. Motivation.
What is Mental Illness? What do you think or feel about that term? Give me some right and some wrong answers! What does the stigma say?
Mental Illness Is just like other illnesses and needs care, help, and support. Affects our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Can be very disruptive to life and create many challenges. Comes in many different forms with many different symptoms. Culture, background, beliefs, access to services, friends and family all variables that shape how we understand it, and address it. www.cmha.ca
Different types of mental illnesses Anxiety disorders (GAD, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder) Mood disorders (depression, bipolar, PTSD) Eating disorders (bulimia, anorexia) Personality disorders (10 in total, borderline, OCD, narcissistic) Childhood disorders (ADHD) Dementia (refers to a group of symptoms. Alzheimer s) Psychotic disorders (schizophrenia) How may people do you know with one or more of these disorders?
Why is it hard to keep this straight? Because people with mental illness can have good mental health, and people without mental illness can have poor mental health.
Why is it hard to keep this straight? News stories, media, social media, decades of misunderstandings, confusion, silence, and stigma. Example: July 30, 2008. Example: October 1, 2017. Myths: not me, just an excuse, bad parents, violent and dangerous, helpless, weak, unemployable, only for adults, normal part of aging.
Why is talking about it so important? The Buzz: Bell Let s Talk, Prince Will and Harry, Mental Health Week, endless online resources. Now counsellors at a safety conference? What gives? Increasing stress and anxiety in our society impacts individuals, families, marriages, workplaces, communities. Increasing awareness and research into the mind body connection: how illness and disease is related to our mental health, relationships, environment, and past.
Increasing stress and anxiety Stress is a reaction to a situation be it a real or perceived threat. We perceive the demands of the situation as greater than our resources to cope. Anxiety is a state of worry, nervousness, unease, and fear. Why are these increasing? What s stressful and worrisome for people these days?
Mind body connection Emotional stress is the major cause of many illnesses, from cancer to autoimmune conditions, and many other chronic diseases. The brain and body systems that process emotions are intimately connected with the hormonal apparatus, the nervous system, and in particular the immune system. www.gabormate.com When the Body Says No, Mate, 2003. UK appoints Minister of Loneliness, Jan 2018. Its worse for health than 15 cigarettes per day, can be associated with greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, depression, and anxiety. www.nytimes.com So, mental and emotional pain and suffering (opposite of mental health) impacts physical pain and suffering (disease and illness). We cannot separate our health into compartments. Everything is connected. Examples of this that we experience all the time.
Got it! Now can we talk workplace safety? If employees are valued for their minds first, let s take care of them Protect and promote mental health. ~ CMHA www.notmyselftoday.ca.
Survey says Workplace Health Research for the Conference Board of Canada, 2018: We all struggle with mental health: self, loved one, friend, or colleague. Workplace stress is significant for mental health: make it a priority and create a safe, supportive work environment. The costs of medical leaves due to mental health and illness is anticipated to increase. Improved treatment of depression could boost economy by 32 billion per year, anxiety 17 billion. Change comes from all company levels, but most lack experience and training in this area. Most are ill-equipped to recognize signs, handle difficult conversations, know legalities and referrals.
So is this catching on? You bet it is. www.firstrespondersmentalhealth.com
Workplace psychological health and safety www.guardingmindsatwork.ca Psychological health comprises our ability to think, feel, and behave in a manner that enables us to perform effectively in our work environments, personal lives, and in society at large. Where have you heard that before? Let s clarify the jargon! A psychologically healthy and safe workplace is one that promotes employees psychological well being and actively works to prevent harm to employee psychological health due to negligent, reckless, or intentional acts. While psychological health and safety are deserving of equal protection, from a strategic perspective, ensuring safety is a prerequisite to the promotion of health.
Why is it so important? www.guardingmindsatwork.ca The legal case: current and emerging legal and regulatory mandates for employers. In his 2010 report Tracking the Perfect Legal Storm Dr. Martin Shain suggests that providing a psychologically safe workplace is no longer something that is simply nice to do, it is increasingly becoming a legal imperative. Changes in labour law, occupational health and safety, employment standards, workers compensation, the contract of employment, tort law, and human rights decisions are all pointing to the need for employers to provide a psychologically safe workplace. In addition, human rights requires a duty to accommodate mental disabilities. www.workplacestrategiesformentalhealth.com
Why is it so important? www.guardingmindsatwork.ca The business case: compelling financial incentives to reduce costs. The health case: scientific and practical evidence for the impact of the workplace on employee health.
Employee mental health : Impact on the workplace Worker performance, confidence, concentration, decision making Absenteeism, presenteeism Employee retention/turnover Medical leaves, STD/LTD Felt guilt, regret, responsibility Employee engagement, morale, and teamwork issues Sustainability and growth issues Isolation and withdrawal, don t ask don t tell Legal responsibilities Severe economical impact
A note on disclosure Sharing a diagnosis of a health problem at work is called disclosure. Canadian law says you don t have to disclose your mental health problem. I m experiencing a health problem and ask for what you need to perform your job well. Supportive strategies and reasonable accommodations. Fear around sharing and asking for help given stigma and confusion.
Workplace health and safety: impact on employees
Building workplace health and safety: toward healthy employees, families, companies, communities. Proactive prevention paired with skilled reaction, response, and referrals. Manageable work loads within capacity and skill set. Supportive leaders who promote communication and act on feedback. Environment of collaboration and mutual respect. Effective OHS with emphasis on mental health. Morale and team building events. Superior, community based EFAP
continued Encouraged to use vacation, sick time, flexibility to meet family demands. Current policies and procedures for bullying, harassment, and mental health. Supportive of work life balance. Talent gained (not lost). Recruitment and retention. Training and resources for mental health awareness and response. Training and response to occupational injury and critical incidents. What else can your workplace do to support employee mental health??
Resources, resources, resources Guarding Minds at Work. CMHA: Not Myself Today. CMHA of BC: Safe and Sound training. CCOHS: Healthy Minds at Work. Workplace Strategies for Mental Health. When the Body Says No: The cost of hidden stress. Mate, 2003. Upper Island Counselling, EFAP CMHA: Workforce Mental Health Collaborative BC First Responders Mental Health. Here to Help (mental health and substance use). Working Through it (video resources). The Shain Report: Stress at Work, Mental Injury, and the law in Canada.
I welcome your comments and questions. Thank you for having me. Kelsi@uics.ca- for feedback, comments or questions. www.uics.ca 250.287.2266 ~ Kelsi Baine ~