The state of mental health in the workplace

42% of global employees have experienced a decline in mental health since the pandemic began. In this article, we will look at what mental health is, the effects of COVID-19 on the state of mental health in the workplace in the UK, and the steps companies can take to provide better working environments to employees.

Our workplace can have a significant impact on our lives. We spend a good part of our day working, and many factors of our personal lives like sleep, eating schedules, and social life are also possibly tied up with our work. Having a stable job may provide meaning and purpose to our lives, become part of our identity, boost our self-esteem, and provide social legitimacy in addition to monetary benefits.

However, if the workplace becomes a cause of stress, it has the potential to affect all those factors along with interfering with the mental well-being of an individual. In this article, we will analyse the state of mental health in the workplace in the UK, and the steps employers can take to support it. But before we do that, let us first understand what mental health is.

What is mental health?

According to the WHO, ‘ Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.’ The definition also extends to include various social, biological, psychological, and environmental factors as the determinants of the state of mental health of an individual. 

The article also states that some of the factors which can contribute to poor mental health are rapid societal change, demanding work environments, gender discrimination, social marginalisation, unhealthy lifestyles, physical ill-health, and human rights abuses, all of which have been linked to poor mental health.

Some mental health illnesses which may affect people can range from depression to anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorders, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, to name a few. A detailed list of these disorders and their associated symptoms can be found at mind.org.

Effects of COVID-19 on the mental health of employees

COVID-19 is expected to have worsened the mental well-being of individuals. According to an article by the Office for National Statistics, around 1 in 6 adults experienced some form of depression in the summer of 2021. Many factors like restrictions caused by the pandemic, lack of social interaction, and uncertainty regarding the future may have possibly contributed to the unstable or poor mental health of people.  

Many people may still be dealing with additional employment demands and changes in their personal lives as a result of the health crisis. In addition, many individuals had to also suffer from the loss of loved ones during the peaks of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Companies also dealt with such situations in their own ways over time, with different responses to the situation at different times. Many companies paid more attention to mental health conditions at the start of the pandemic compared to the years after it. An article by CIPD states that in comparison to the first year of the pandemic, there is less emphasis on health and well-being by management in later years. The data in the research suggests a deterioration in focus on employees’ mental and physical health by companies. The article also states that employee wellbeing is on the agenda of seven in 10 (70%) senior leaders according to HR respondents, down 5 percentage points from 75% last year.

The state of mental health in the UK

According to a report by the HSE, one in four people in the UK are expected to have a mental health problem at some point in their lifetimes. The report also states that among the problems associated with mental health, anxiety and depression are the most common ones. In addition, mental illness is the most common cause of disability in the United Kingdom as per a Statista report, which also states that 30% of the UK population suffers from at least one mental health condition.

The UK Government recently released a mental health and wellbeing plan,   which aims to ‘provide a sense of direction for the plan which is rooted in the voices and perspectives of people who live with a mental health condition’.

3 Ways employers can support mental well-being

According to the —downloadable— Seventy-fourth World Health Assembly action plan, 80% of countries are expected to have at least two mental health promotion and prevention programmes by 2030. These programmes are intended for employers and organisations to promote mental health at the workplace. The report also mentions the following points in the action plan:

• ‘Promote full access to educational opportunities, employment participation, and return-to-work programmes for persons with mental illnesses and psychosocial impairments.’
• ‘Implement evidence-based programmes to promote mental well-being and prevent mental health conditions, including training managers to benefit employees’ mental well-being.’
• ‘Encourage workplace and other community-based suicide prevention activities that are customised to groups at risk, such as teenagers and the elderly.’

It is important for employers to have an open conversation about mental health issues with the aim to remove any stigma which may be attached to them. Mental health issues may have major effects in the workplace, not only for the individuals whose lives are impacted directly or indirectly but also for the productivity of the company. There are many ways in which employers can help support mental health at work, some of which are listed below:

1. Allowing for flexibility at work

When employees are given a free and flexible work environment, they may be more likely to thrive. According to a recent survey by Software Advice, 86% of the employees want to continue working remotely for at least part of the time. The flexibility of where to work, and the timings during which they work can possibly give people more control over their lives and they can use the remaining time in close vicinity of their loved ones and work on improving their mental health.

2. Covering mental health in the company’s insurance plans

Offering mental health coverage as a part of company-offered insurance can provide employees easy access to doctors and other mental health specialists. Many times, people hesitate to reach out to a medical practitioner due to the fear of the financial strain it can cause to their pockets. For many people, with debt as a cause of their mental ailments, spending money on mental health issues can also seem counterintuitive.

3. Offering employee assistance programmes (EAP)

EAPs are intervention programmes that could assist your workers in resolving issues that may arise in their personal life. The idea behind offering such assistance to employees is to equip them to deal with their personal and professional issues before they start to interfere with their work performance. Employees can use these programmes to overcome obstacles such as substance abuse or addiction, grief/loss, traumatic occurrences, and financial or legal difficulties.

What does the future hold?

In many organisations, talking about mental health issues may still be frowned upon or have a certain stigma attached to it. However, the pandemic may have offered an opportunity for companies, managers, and human resource groups to have an open conversation about it and companies may want to use this opportunity to help and support their employees.

Employees also must put emphasis on emotional well-being at work in order to have a healthy relationship with their workplace. It’s also important to keep in mind that people with similar mental health issues may experience a wide range of symptoms to varying degrees, meaning that workplace help should ideally be tailored to meet each individual’s needs.