Mental Health in the Workplace is cited as a critical focal point, as percentages continue to rise. One in five Canadians have a mental illness, and in the workplace that translates to an annual $20 billion dollars in lost productivity. 

I asked Ken Porter of Mood Disorders Society of Canada https://mdsc.ca/ his opinion on what we can do better to support mental health. He indicated that most workplaces are not a safe place to talk about mental illness, so first and foremost, we need to change the perception that it is ok to talk openly about mental health.  Currently because of the stigma that surrounds the topic, people aren’t comfortable talking about it.   

Please listen to my short video and I hope you’ll join me for the Defeat Depression Walk in North Bay on May 25, 2019!

Here are a few tips on how to create a culture of support, for colleagues who suffer from depression or anxiety, including what to say. 

Employees can enhance overall wellness by making good choices and taking care of themselves. If it’s you, and you feel that you’re not mentally well (living your normal life) seek treatment.  

Colleagues can pay attention.  Are your coworkers showing symptoms of low performance or missing more days from the workplace? Signs of depression, which often follow but not limited to stress caused by loss of a loved one or divorce, are a change in eating, difficulty concentrating, or isolation.  Danger signs are suicidal clues, where someone is giving away their belongings, talking about a future time when they are gone, or self-medicating, where they find a solution in drugs, alcohol or other addictions.  Don’t be afraid to ask someone if they’re contemplating suicide. 

Managers – Mental health issues are not an excuse for poor behaviour at work, rather, provide an important opportunity to addresses the behaviour.  Approach softly for best results.  Ken Porter suggested the sandwich technique for offering feedback to an employee, rather than a short, blunt or aggressive reprimand.  With the technique, you start and finish on a positive, and sandwich constructive feedback in between. 

Here are some suggested words to say to support someone you may be concerned about.  Sit down with them and ask them how they are.  Look them in the eye so that it’s a meaningful ask.  “Are you ok?” Or “Is everything ok?”  Listen for their response. 

You don’t have to have the right answers, and you don’t have to fix the problem, just show that you care. 

It’s recommended that organizations have an internal peer support group, through which others with lived experience can help people through the situational or temporary disorders.  There are Employee Assistance Programs EAP’s and community resources.  

Who’s responsible for mental health?  All of us.  Employees are responsible for maintaining their optimum health, and the employers for providing a healthy workplace that supports employee wellbeing, job satisfaction as well as the company’s bottom line.   

Ken Porter provided an excellent resource for creating a mentally healthy workplace, and to support the recovery of those returning to work from a mental illness. http://mdsc.ca/docs/Workplace_Mental_Health.pdf. 

Thank you for reading this message and for taking the time to build your knowledge to make a difference.