Five Tips to Breaking Mental Health Stigma in Global Workplaces

The theme provided by the World Federation for Mental Health for World Mental Health Day 2024 was ‘Mental Health At Work’. It was intended to draw more attention, awareness, and action. Post-COVID, the world has seen a rise in reports of mental health concerns. According to a scientific brief provided by the World Health Organization in 2022, the COVID-19 pandemic triggered the global prevalence of anxiety and depression by a massive 25%. Reports also suggest that 15% of working-age adults were estimated to have a mental disorder in 2019. These numbers are alarming and call for immediate attention and action that aid people dealing with mental health challenges.

Why is it important to focus on Workplace Mental Health? 

Organizations hire people for their talent and skills but let us never forget that each individual is unique and so are their upbringing, values, responsibilities, and struggles. Therefore individuals cannot be expected to behave and react in the same manner to one situation. 

Making workplaces more kind, empathetic, and accommodating is important to ensure everyone feels respected and valued. Mental Health triggers can look different for everyone. The majority of the individuals spend more than 50% of their day working. When a majority of your life is occupied with work, it can also hold a lot of power to influence your thoughts, emotions, and actions and vice versa.

A supportive environment boosts employee productivity and engagement and encourages healthy communication between teams. Building a supportive environment requires one to challenge one’s ideas of hierarchy, respect boundaries, be compassionate, and offer socio-emotional support to colleagues.

Not only is it helpful for employee wellbeing but it also is one of the most important parameters for occupational wellbeing. Inclusive workspaces act as an ally for an individual’s personal and professional growth. 

How to break the barriers of stigma and build an inclusive workspace?

An inclusive and supportive workplace is born when your actions align with your intentions. Instead of choosing to implement strategies or changes to look ‘woke’, the emphasis should be on understanding employee needs more effectively. Any organization that acknowledges and works on its shortcomings is already a healthy workspace. 

Let us look at a few ways in which you can build a mentally healthy global workspace. 

Listen to your employee’s needs: 

The key to building inclusivity lies in understanding what everyone wants and making space for it. This can be achieved via circulating anonymous feedback forms and scheduling individual check-in sessions with employees.

Use Inclusive language:

The first step towards changing the narrative lies in changing the language you use to describe anything. Make sure to use culture-appropriate, gender-neutral language, respectful of everyone’s boundaries, and politically correct. This is a critical step in building safety and security for all. For individuals trying to navigate these changes, it can be a bit confusing and challenging to un-learn their patterns alone. Having a global but remote workforce can add another layer of challenge to this. Organizations can offer sensitization training and Mental Health Awareness programs to aid employees. This will also help in enhancing community building. 

Establish strength-based, compassionate leadership throughout the organization:

A healthy and effective leadership can have a significant impact on a top-down workforce. The values, mindset, and boundaries practiced by leadership have an invaluable effect on the entire workforce. Emphasize reflecting on and working on your qualities as leaders.

Normalize seeking professional help:

Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It is, in fact, a sign of strength. Organizations must challenge the existing narratives and taboos around mental health by initiating an open dialogue, offering supportive spaces for employees to work on the challenges with a professional, introducing mental health days, and encouraging them to take breaks and practice a healthy work-life balance. At Manah Wellness, we offer a range of services that aid in creating safe spaces within your workplace and building wellbeing champions in your organization. 

Normalize Mental Health Check-ins:

Incorporate mental health check-ins as a part of workplace routines, similar to performance reviews. A mental health check-in involves paying attention to your emotional needs tracking your mood and understanding why you are feeling what you are feeling. This demonstrates that your mental wellbeing is as important as professional growth.

FAQs

1. What are the common barriers to addressing mental health at workplaces?

Mental Health is still considered a taboo in a lot of cultures globally. Common barriers to asking for help are stigma and shame attached to mental illness, fear of judgment, fear of failure, inhibitions due to past experiences, lack of resources such as availability of Mental Health Professionals, or limited funds. Unfortunately, some factors can prevent one from seeking help. That is where the company’s EAP can help. Employee Assistance Programs are free of cost mental health services provided by trained professionals who can offer emotional support. They also empower employees and help them learn effective coping strategies to manage emotions better. 

2. What role does mental health awareness training play in addressing stigma?

Mental Health Awareness training sessions are aimed at addressing myths and emphasizing facts, and statistics, creating an open space for discussing different questions normalizing emotions and seeking help for emotional management. These are highly effective and encourage individuals to come forward to seek help.