Mar. 21, 2017 "Why everyone needs to take care of their mental health": Today I found this article by Bill Howatt and Louise Bradley in the Globe and Mail:
This is part of a series examining the mental health experience in Canada’s workplaces.Take part in our short survey (tgam.ca/menthalhealthsurvey) and add your voice to this important conversation. This series supports The Globe and Mail and Morneau Shepell’s Employee Recommended Workplace Award, which honours companies that put the health and well-being of their employees first. Winners for 2017 will be announced at a conference in late spring. Sign up to receive an e-mail about registration for 2018 at www.employeerecommended.com.
The term mental health problem or illness can be confused with the concept of mental health; however, they are different. About one in five Canadians will experience a diagnosable mental health problem or illness in any given year, whereas everyone has a responsibility to look after their mental health.
Good mental health is an important tool to deal with life’s daily stresses.
Good mental health is an important tool to deal with life’s daily stresses.
The Public Health Agency of Canada defines positive mental health as “the capacity of each and all of us to feel, think, act in ways that enhance our ability to enjoy life and deal with the challenges we face.”
Awareness
Given that two-thirds of Canadian adults spend 60 per cent of their time at work, workplaces can have an impact on our mental health. The way you experience your job can either damage, or enrich, your mental health.
Consider that a person living with anxiety might be receiving appropriate treatments, have a support network and a fulfilling job, at which she excels. Though she lives with a mental illness, her life circumstances, including her work, enrich her mental health.
On the other hand, someone who doesn’t have a diagnosable mental health problem may be experiencing a range of challenges, from coping with aging parents, to financial stress, or undue workplace pressures. Even without a mental illness, this individual may still report poor mental health.
On the other hand, someone who doesn’t have a diagnosable mental health problem may be experiencing a range of challenges, from coping with aging parents, to financial stress, or undue workplace pressures. Even without a mental illness, this individual may still report poor mental health.
It is helpful to think about positive mental health and mental health problems or illnesses as interconnected, as shown in the diagram below.
One axis shows positive mental health as a resource. It is something everyone can work to strengthen. Taking care of your mental health requires the same kind of effort you expend to look after your physical well-being.
On the other hand, if you are vulnerable to a mental health problem or illness, you can draw on positive mental health resources and supports to achieve well-being.
On the other hand, if you are vulnerable to a mental health problem or illness, you can draw on positive mental health resources and supports to achieve well-being.
Given the central role of workplaces, it’s not surprising everyone performs better in psychologically healthy settings, free of harassment and bullying, where management is supportive, workloads are reasonable and expectations are clear.
Accountability
While public discussion about mental health is increasing, too often people under stress believe they should be able to cope better. This is often true whether you are living with a diagnosable mental health problem or simply experiencing poor mental health.
This kind of thinking can stand in the way of taking positive steps to build up mental health, like seeking appropriate support. Staying in the stress cycle increases the risk of becoming more ill or further depleting mental health resources.
This kind of thinking can stand in the way of taking positive steps to build up mental health, like seeking appropriate support. Staying in the stress cycle increases the risk of becoming more ill or further depleting mental health resources.
When you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, or when your coping skills seem inadequate, reach out to someone you trust.
Action
One way to take charge of your mental health is to tune-in to changes in your behaviour, feelings and thoughts.
If your personal care, sleeping or eating patterns are changing, or you are being troubled by unwanted feelings and thoughts, these can be warning signals that your mental health needs attention.
If your personal care, sleeping or eating patterns are changing, or you are being troubled by unwanted feelings and thoughts, these can be warning signals that your mental health needs attention.
1. Make a commitment to learn.
Explore what positive mental health means, and what kinds of things can build up your mental health resource kit. The wrong time to prepare for crisis is when you’re in it.
Find out more about early warning signs and symptoms of mental health problems, and the kinds of help available. Like preventing a heart attack, it’s helpful to understand not only the signs and symptoms but also how to engage in prevention, and when and where to reach out when things are getting out of hand.
A Mental Health First Aid course could be a good way to start. Consider inquiring if your employer would host one.
Find out more about early warning signs and symptoms of mental health problems, and the kinds of help available. Like preventing a heart attack, it’s helpful to understand not only the signs and symptoms but also how to engage in prevention, and when and where to reach out when things are getting out of hand.
A Mental Health First Aid course could be a good way to start. Consider inquiring if your employer would host one.
2. Get your baseline
If you’re questioning how well you’re coping at work, your current stress level, overall health and workplace experiences, complete the Your Life at Work survey. This behaviour-based tool will help you explore the relationship between stress and health and the role of coping skills.
The Working Mind is an excellent tool to help employees learn to address mental health problems with a common language. Many employers in Canada are beginning to offer this training to their workers.
The Working Mind is an excellent tool to help employees learn to address mental health problems with a common language. Many employers in Canada are beginning to offer this training to their workers.
3. Devote a little of each day to improving your mental health
Maintaining your mental health is a lot like staying physically fit. A little effort every day goes a long way. The Canadian Mental Health Association is a good place to start for ideas.
4. Reach out.
Many people with mental health problems or illnesses endure in silence. There are resources in your community to help, including your family doctor and your company’s employee and family assistance program representative.
A new report, released recently by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, Strengthening the Case for Investing in Mental Health: Economic Considerations, highlights Canadian research that indicates a person on short-term disability for a mental health concern will return to work 16 days earlier if they have access to collaborative care – which is when experts from different specialties, disciplines, or sectors work together to offer cohesive client services.
This is one of many effective tools, interventions and that are available. Taking action will benefit your health, career and relationships.
A new report, released recently by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, Strengthening the Case for Investing in Mental Health: Economic Considerations, highlights Canadian research that indicates a person on short-term disability for a mental health concern will return to work 16 days earlier if they have access to collaborative care – which is when experts from different specialties, disciplines, or sectors work together to offer cohesive client services.
This is one of many effective tools, interventions and that are available. Taking action will benefit your health, career and relationships.
Have you dealt with or are you dealing with a mental health issue? Please take a moment to complete our survey: The Mental Health Experience in Canada’s Workplaces: What’s Your Experience?
Bill Howatt is the Chief Research and Development Officer of Workforce Productivity with Morneau Shepell in Toronto.
Louise Bradley is CEO and President of the Mental Health Commission of Canada.
Franklin Galvin1
8 days ago
Then why don't we have psychologists in provincial health plans? Surely a minimum standard of competence, ie being able to offer evidence-based therapy, should usher psychologists into provincial health plans.
Let the psychiatric lobby, such as the Can. Mental Health Assoc., which is forever pushing unskilled pill-pushing psychiatry onto an unsuspecting public, stand aside and let the real experts in. Canadians deserve proper care, not unscientific care from the largest lobby group.
The fact is that science-based professionals do not have the mindset of most of the public, which has a more nuanced emotional understanding than psychiatry and medicine can deal with. This is not a problem provided we make the right professionals, ie psychologists and some social workers, available to those who need them.
Mental health designed by psychiatry and medicine is NOT sufficient.
jamesp
8 days ago
That list might be the product of an OCD addled mind. Which doesn't worry me. Or make me anxious.
May 5, 2017 "Why every organization should have a mental-health strategy": Today I found this article by Stephen Liptrap in the Globe and Mail:
Stephen Liptrap is president and CEO of Morneau Shepell
Every organization should have a workplace mental health strategy. The case is clear and compelling.
Every organization should have a workplace mental health strategy. The case is clear and compelling.
Mental health issues impact a sizable proportion of the workforce – one in three working Canadians report a current or past mental health issue. Because most of us spend a significant amount of time at work, these issues have a noteworthy impact on organizational effectiveness, from decision-making to retention to safety to relationships to attendance and productivity.
According our data, absences alone cost Canadian employers $28-million per 10,000 employees, with mental illness being the leading driver.
According our data, absences alone cost Canadian employers $28-million per 10,000 employees, with mental illness being the leading driver.
So, why do only 39 per cent of Canadian employers have a workplace mental health strategy? The answer I most often hear is, “we don’t know where to begin.”
Like any framework, developing a workplace mental health strategy is no easy task. But, there are clear steps that organizations can take to get started. Let me walk you through them.
Like any framework, developing a workplace mental health strategy is no easy task. But, there are clear steps that organizations can take to get started. Let me walk you through them.
First, the good news: many employers already have tools and core services to directly support a strategy. These typically include a combination of training, disability management and employee and family assistance programs (EFAP) that can be strengthened and better integrated. That’s an excellent foundation.
But what comes next?
But what comes next?
Setting clear objectives: A simple starting point to any strategy is agreeing on clear objectives. At Morneau Shepell, we focus on 5 Rs:
removal of stigma,
resilience building,
recognizing risk,
recovery
and return to work.
removal of stigma,
resilience building,
recognizing risk,
recovery
and return to work.
From there, we urge organizations to embrace the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace. Available for free, the Standard provides a framework that is intended to:
- Reduce people- and cost-risks related to mental health
- Promote productivity and engagement
- Reduce potential liabilities related to workplace legislation and employee mental illness
- Develop and continuously improve work environments
Getting buy-in: The most successful mental health strategies start at the top. Visible commitment and ongoing support from a senior leader cannot be underestimated – for proof, look at the vital role Bell Canada CEO George Cope played in launching Let’s Talk and the company’s internal mental health strategy.
Senior executive champions inform their counterparts about the relevance of workplace mental health, reduce stigma in just a few words and sow the conditions for improved outcomes. But they must be committed, believe in what they’re preaching and truly lead. Employees can see through someone going through the motions.
The next step is training. Canada’s top organizations make workplace mental health training mandatory – from senior executives to frontline managers. People leaders are taught about proper messaging, anti-stigma, recognizing behaviour changes and how to engage a colleague with a potential mental health issue. Role-playing and simulations often lead to excellent results.
These efforts are best complemented by a cascading communications strategy, from the C-Suite to the frontline. A strong and consistent campaign focused on reducing stigma, raising awareness and bringing to view spokespeople with meaningful experiences will ensure that a strategy feels real and relatable.
Design, implementation and evaluation: Design and implementation are, by far, the most challenging parts of a mental health strategy. The National Standard, while an incredible tool, can be a tad overwhelming. My advice, don’t bite off more than you can handle.
Prioritize and focus. Whether you start with an anti-stigma campaign or by modernizing an existing program, do a few things well rather than several things poorly.
Also, remember that adding more programs will not necessarily improve outcomes. Strengthening and better integrating an existing suite of programs can go a long way.
Prioritize and focus. Whether you start with an anti-stigma campaign or by modernizing an existing program, do a few things well rather than several things poorly.
Also, remember that adding more programs will not necessarily improve outcomes. Strengthening and better integrating an existing suite of programs can go a long way.
Measurement and evaluation: I can’t fully articulate how important this step is. For a mental health strategy to be taken seriously, it must be held to the same standard as other business measures.
That means collecting reliable data and regularly keeping tabs on the value of and return on your investment. To that end, consider three types of measures:
That means collecting reliable data and regularly keeping tabs on the value of and return on your investment. To that end, consider three types of measures:
- Outcome measures: Absence and disability costs, EFAP utilization and employee engagement.
- Risk indicators: Workplace total health, employee and manager sentiment and audits based on the National Standard.
- Program effectiveness measures: A thorough and regular audit of programs asking the following questions:
- Are programs working as intended?
- Are people aware?
- Are they using them?
- Are services having an impact?
Finally, the most important step is to simply start. The issue of mental health in the workplace is significant, the ability to help or hinder compelling, and the opportunity for improvement is overwhelmingly clear.
In the spirit of Canada 150, let’s set a big, hairy, audacious goal: By 2020, every organization in Canada, regardless of size or sector, has a workplace mental health strategy.
Perhaps one of the greatest challenges is employees who receive training in mental health and wellness but come back into an organizational culture that has no framework of accountability to support ongoing growth in this area!
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