Mental health in the workplace

Mental Health is a very important part of one’s level of functioning. As an employee, one should consider how is my mental health and what am I doing to facilitate having good mental standing.

The workplace can play an essential part in maintaining positive mental health; it can be a cause for breakdown as well. Work can give people the opportunity to feel productive and be a strong contributor to one’s society; it can also be a stressful environment that contributes to the rise of mental health problems and illnesses. No workplace is immune from these risks and we cannot afford to limit our definition of occupational health and safety to only the physical, as mental problems can also decrease worker productivity. To address mental health in the workplace, let us first define what it means to have good mental health. Good mental health is not simply the absence of a diagnosable mental health problem. Good mental health is characterized by a person’s ability to fulfill a number of key functions and activities, including: the ability to learn; the ability to feel, express and manage a range of positive and negative emotions; the ability to form and maintain good relationships with others; the ability to cope with and manage change and uncertainty.

Persons with mental health difficulties in the workplace may face environmental, institutional and attitudinal obstacles in disclosing them. Attitudinal barriers and social exclusion are often the hardest obstacles to overcome and usually are associated with feelings of shame, fear and rejection. Stigma surrounds people with mental health difficulties, which can hinder recovery and progress. Thus, the workplace can be identified as an appropriate environment in which to educate individuals and raise their awareness about mental health and mental illness.

Promotion of good mental health practices can be part of human resource management policy. Just remember, the nature of effective mental health services can be multidimensional and it could require psychiatric treatment and medication; psychotherapy or individual counselling, as a range of factors can contribute to an individual’s mental health standing. Providing an avenue to address mental health in the workplace will not be the only factor in addressing mental health issues in the workplace, but it can be a start. What can the individual and employee do? Check out Friday’s edition. To be continued….

Compiled by: Ellica Matthews – Counsellor at Mental Health Rehabilitation Centre Email: mhcsvg@gmail.com