Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace. Gill Hasson

Introduction

      How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.

      Annie Dillard

      For many of us, a large part of our days is spent at work; it's reckoned that we will spend 3507 days at work over a lifetime. The average person spends a quarter of their adult life at work. Work can give us a sense of purpose, structure, and satisfaction while also providing the means to finance daily life. It can also cause stress.

      In fact, mental health and wellbeing at work is one of the most important issues facing all of us. Global organizations, national organizations, small organizations, trade unions, politicians, mental health organizations, employers, and, of course, employees, their families and friends are all becoming increasingly concerned about mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.

Managing mental health and wellbeing at work starts with understanding what mental health and wellbeing are. In Chapter 1 we explain this. We also explain what mental ill-health is and we describe the signs and symptoms of some common mental illnesses. Our mental health and wellbeing can change not just from day to day, month to month, and year to year, but at key stages and changes in our lives; you'll also read in Chapter 1 how some key life stages can adversely impact on our mental health and wellbeing.

      In Chapter 2 we look at the impact that work can have on our mental health and wellbeing. We ask the question ‘Is work good for you?’ The answer is yes. And no. The research consistently reflects what we all already know: people are suffering at work; they're finding the increasing demands of work pressure untenable.

      Issues such as a poor working environment, unrealistic deadlines, poor communication, poor interpersonal relationships, too much responsibility, and a lack of management support can significantly impact on the wellbeing of people at work. People get stressed. Especially if they're also dealing with difficulties and problems outside of work. People get stressed when they feel overwhelmed or unable to cope as a result of pressures and demands that are unmanageable; when they feel they have little control over a situation.

It doesn't have to be this way! In recent years, there's been plenty of interest and research telling us how to turn things around. In 2017, for example, an independent review – Thriving at Work – led by mental health campaigner Lord Dennis Stevenson and Paul Farmer, chief executive at Mind and chair of the NHS Mental Health Taskforce. Thriving at Work sets out a framework of core standards that all UK employers, it suggests – no matter what their size or the industry in which they operate – can implement to address workplace wellbeing and mental health.

      In Chapter 3 we explain how organizations and managers at all levels can implement some of the recommendations made in the Thriving at Work review. You'll read how to assess, improve, and maintain wellbeing in the workplace. In other words, how to be a good place to work.

      Of course, it's not all down to organizations and their leaders to up their game. There's a lot that individual employees can do to develop their own wellbeing and resilience. Chapter 4 has a wealth of practical advice and suggestions that can help individuals to, amongst other things, have a healthy work–life balance, manage stress at work, create positive relationships with colleagues, and look after their physical health at work.

      However, although there's plenty that each of us can do to develop and maintain our wellbeing, we're not invincible. For one reason or another, any of us can experience a mental illness. In Chapter 5 we look at how best to manage at work if you have been or are currently unwell. We explain the importance of identifying what could trigger a downturn, what you can do to help yourself to be well, and what to do in a crisis. Throughout this chapter and the previous one, we emphasize the importance of not needing to do any of this – looking after your mental health and wellbeing – on your own. There is help and support out there.

In the last chapter – Chapter 6 – we write about how managers can help and support employees with mental health problems. There's a lot to take into account, but if you are a manager, do be reassured that no one is expecting you to know all the answers, or to know as much as a trained mental health professional. But having some knowledge, understanding, and training in mental health will help you know when and how far you can help, when to ask for support, and when to refer someone to other agencies.

      Employers that genuinely promote and value wellbeing and good mental health and support people – whatever their culture, beliefs, and abilities – with mental health problems are more likely to create conditions that allow for everyone to give of their best, to be committed to their organization's goals and values, to be motivated to contribute to organizational success, to feel valued and supported, and to have a positive sense of their own wellbeing.