If you are a leader, a line manager or a colleague that someone turns to – how confident are you that you could manage a conversation about mental health? How would you respond if someone tells you they have panic attacks, depression or even suicidal thoughts? That’s assuming they’d even want to open up.
With greater coverage of mental health during and after the pandemic, you might think people would feel more able to have those conversations, but research tells a different story. Mental health charity Mind found that 30% of employees don’t feel that they can talk openly with their line manager if they were feeling stressed.
Written to support Time to Talk Day 2024 which takes place on Thursday, 1st February, this article looks at why we need to encourage more conversation about mental health, how to become more open and ways to embed this openness into your workplace culture.
According to the organisers of Time to Talk Day, it’s the perfect opportunity to start a conversation about mental health. That’s because the more conversations we have, the better life is for everyone. Talking about mental health isn’t always easy and sometimes it’s even harder to say how you really feel. But a conversation has the power to change lives – and we look at how to make this happen at work, and support employees who want to talk.
Mental health = everyone’s health
Are we really ‘breaking the taboo’ around mental health at work? Certainly since the pandemic mental health has a higher profile but, if the response to anything mental health related is to ‘call HR’ then we haven’t progressed as employers. Mental health shouldn’t be seen as a topic that only HR can manage.
Talking about mental health in the workplace needs to work on two levels. Everyone needs to feel able to talk about issues affecting their mental health – whether they are feeling anxious about something happening at work or outside of work. And organisations – and particularly line managers – need to be better at helping someone who might be showing the signs of stress and anxiety. It’s about being confident in taking ownership. Mental health should be everyone’s concern.
Defining good mental health
If asked what contributes to poor mental health at work, you’d probably see a long list of factors. Burnout, stress, anxiety, poor relationships with colleagues, job security and of course the impact of the current cost of living crisis. But what forms the basis of good mental health? There’s no doubting that employers can and should be a positive influence on mental health.
This definition from the World Health Organisation (WHO) includes references to work, productivity and making a contribution.
“Mental health is a state of mental and psychological wellbeing in which every individual realises his or her own potential, and can cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community”.
But, similar to the findings by Mind, consultancy Deloitte found that over half (52%) of employees in the UK haven’t felt supported by their employer when it comes to mental health. What employees want from their employers – and what they actually get in terms of support is a different lived experience.
There shouldn’t need to be a business case for doing the right thing – but for any employer sceptical about the ROI of investing in mental health initiatives such as helping line managers spot the signs of mental health issues, Deloitte established that for every £1 spent by employers on mental health interventions, they get £5 back in reduced absence, presenteeism and staff turnover.
The impact of leadership on mental health
We think employees would feel a lot more supported, indeed more comfortable to talk about their own issues, if their leaders were too. Leaders exert powerful influence when it comes to mental health issues. They can set the tone of the whole organisation by their actions so, the more they normalise talking about mental health, the more likely others will feel comfortable doing the same. When leaders are more open about their own mental health challenges this in turn creates a safe space for others to also speak up and ask for help.
How to open up conversations
Talking about mental health is clearly a sensitive topic. If 30% of employees don’t feel able to have that conversation with their line manager, what can organisations do to help?
Start with your culture: We’ve already covered the role leaders can play but a leader alone doesn’t create the culture. Employees need a psychologically safe place where they feel comfortable and can bring their whole selves to work. This comes through greater acceptance of people for who they are and the recognition that what goes on in their lives outside of work will impact on performance. Someone concerned about their finances will find it hard to leave those concerns at the door. They need to know that the organisation recognises that it’s OK to not be OK.
Recognise the signs: No matter how open your culture is, people may still be reluctant to come forward about their mental health. That’s where being able to spot the possible signs that something isn’t right can help initiate a conversation. Signs can include dips in performance or productivity, unplanned absences, out of character behaviour, irritability, poor concentration, disengagement or negativity – many of which are the signs of burnout which can have long-term affects on health and wellbeing.
Understanding and empathy: How we speak to others can have a huge influence on their willingness to talk. Instead of speaking to colleagues as their ‘boss’ or line manager, talk to them as one human being to another. When someone shares a mental health issue an empathetic response could be “I sometimes feel like that or, know someone who does, or I know how hard that can be…”. Make the conversation a normal one to have. Not all managers feel confident and comfortable talking about mental health. Investing your wellbeing budget in line manager training will help develop these skills.
The right environment: People need to feel at ease to talk about delicate issues affecting their mental health. They need a quiet place, away from open spaces and where they can speak in confidence. A line manager’s 1-2-1 session is often a good place and certainly away from prying eyes – so avoid going into a room where others might see what’s happening. We hear the phrase ‘safe space’ for a reason.
Conversation starters: The better you know your colleagues, the more likely you’ll be able to judge how you open any conversation on mental health. Going back to your company culture, the greater the openness, the more likely they’ll feel comfortable or certainly less intimidated. So, it’s essential to start the conversation off in a supportive way. A simple ‘How are you?’ can be an incredibly powerful sentence. However, as we all have different issues and individuals, there is no right or wrong approach. You may find the suggestions from Bupa on starting the conversation, listening and responding helpful. ‘A manager’s guide to talking about mental wellbeing.’
Be non-judgmental: Show kindness, compassion, empathy and understanding without judgement. Don’t start any conversation with a pre-determined outcome and course of action as everyone’s issues and circumstances will be unique to them. It’s important to be objective, listen and help the other person say all that they want to. So, ask simple, short and non-judgmental questions. Simply stating that you want to really understand what they are feeling and experiencing can help them relax and share how they are really feeling. Maintain a compassionate neutrality throughout the discussion.
In conclusion
As an employee it can seem overwhelming to live and cope with the impact of mental health issues without the support of your employer. That’s why the ability to talk is so important. Helping to normalise these conversations helps to create an open and supportive workplace, building a sense of cohesion and helps to build more resilient and productive teams.
Additional sources of help
Providers of mental health services include Mind, Samaritans and Rethink Mental Illness.
Mental Health at Work has a page focused on starting conversations around mental health which contains a number of links to other resources.
The Cordell Health subscription service for clients contains helpful guides for employers to help manage and talk about mental health in the workplace.
Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash
