By reviewing who was accessing Employee Assistance Programmes, they were able to see that men are half as likely to reach out for workplace emotional support compared to women. The report also showed that although women are more likely to suffer from mental health conditions, men are three times more likely to take their own life.
These are very worrying statistics, and show that there are huge numbers of people that never get the help they need, and that the consequence for some people is one that one can’t “recover” from.
What can you do about it?
By taking a broader view of employee wellbeing and by focusing on factors that support human health and well-being, rather than on factors that cause ill health, you can work in a preventative fashion.
Adopt a holistic model addressing not only workplace safety (physical and psychological).
Your baseline diagnostic should explore the dimensions that explore the symbiotic relationship between organisational and employee health with productivity and performance.
Connection
We need to acknowledge that people function in a social context and our workplace diagnostic should take into consideration both our personal and professional relationships. The level of connection to others in the workplace or in the broader community has a significant impact on our overall mental health. Maintaining strong feelings of connection can help us stay mentally strong and focused on our goals.
Mental Resilience
By examining the internal psychological environment of our people we will better understand their mental resilience. The level of mental resilience will impact on your organisations’ ability to successfully adapt to change, respond to challenges and deal with highly adverse conditions.
Purpose
A sense of purpose plays an important part in the health of an organisation, but also an individual.
By incorporating a sense of purpose into a person’s life we can help them to become mentally strong to a greater extent and to forge personal relationships both within and outside of the workplace.
Physical Health
Physical health should also be assessed, but in ways that can be seen and felt: such as food, exercise, and working conditions. By exploring different demographic groups within your workforce you will also understand who may be at a greater risk to develop ill health.
