Mental Health Awareness Week
Since 2001, the Mental Health Foundation has been leading Mental Health Awareness Week, bringing the UK together to focus on getting good mental health. This year, the week takes place from the 12th to 18th May and the theme is ‘community’.
Given the importance of Mental Health Week HR Connect have taken the opportunity to look at what is meant by mental health and well-being, as well as the meaning of some of the terms commonly used around the subject including: stress, anxiety and depression.
The spectrum of mental health
When we talk about our physical health, we are very used to thinking in terms of positive health on one side of a spectrum where everything is functioning optimally and we are fit and healthy, and grave illness of whatever kind on the other, with a whole range of milder symptoms and conditions or illnesses in between. Equally, what the positive side of the spectrum will look like will be different for everyone.
We can think of mental health/mental well-being in the same way. On one side would be optimised mental health where we feel happy, engaged, capable, empowered, and positive. At the other extreme would be a range of deeply disabling mental illnesses, and in between would be a range of symptoms and less disabling conditions or illnesses.
All individuals have a state of mental health, which varies all the time, hour by hour, day by day. We have our ups and downs, good days when we can take on the world, and bad days when we can feel weak and vulnerable. Mental illness is something else, just as a physical illness is not the same thing as physical health—it is one aspect of the overall state of health.
Understanding types of mental illness
Stress:
Stress is a commonly used word in the workplace and also the workplace can of course be a source of stress.
But what do we actually mean by the term 'stress'? Many people refer to themselves as stressed when they are just busy. There is a difference between pressure and stress. We often need a little bit of pressure to get motivated to do something. As the pressure mounts, so does our level of productivity, until we reach a point of optimal balance between pressure and productivity. Where that is will be different for different people and of course will change as we become more experienced and are able to deal with greater levels of demand and responsibility. Go much beyond that optimum point, however, and productivity or performance levels tend to fall off quite quickly and, before long, we enter a state of stress.
Stress itself is not an illness, but prolonged or persistent stress is a common cause of anxiety problems and depression.
Anxiety
Anxiety is one of our natural and automatic reactions to perceived danger or threat—it is a fear reaction. Our brains are hard-wired to respond to fear, to a perceived threat, whether actual or imagined, in two distinct ways:
passive reaction - giving in to the threat or freezing in the face of it or aggressive reaction - either flight or fight
The sorts of symptoms that might be associated with fear or anxiety fall into 3 areas with some examples:
- Physical - Nausea, Rapid heartbeat/palpitations, Dizzy, Headaches, Hyperventilation or short breath, Muscle aches and pains and restlessness
- Psychological – Tired, Excessive fear and worry, Impatience, Mind racing or blank, Irritability, Repetitive unpleasant thoughts, Poor concentration and memory
- Behavioural - Repetitive compulsive behaviour, Avoidance, Phobias, Urges to escape, Distress in social situations
Depression
‘Depression' has been defined by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as: 'a loss of interest and enjoyment in ordinary things and experiences, low mood and a range of associated emotional, cognitive, physical and behavioural symptoms'.
Most people will have experienced elements of that from time to time as part of the normal fluctuations in mood we all experience. Normally, it is short-lived. As with all of this, there is a spectrum. Mild depression may not be a long way removed from the feelings most people experience from time to time, albeit that it is prolonged and persistent. Severe depression at the other end of the spectrum will be far more debilitating.
There are a range of common impacts as a result of depression. In the workplace, they will most often be (with examples):
- Emotional – Sadness, Anxiety, Mood swings, Emotionless
- Behavioural – Withdrawal, Neglect of responsibilities, Loss of motivation, Neglect of self
- Physical - Change in appearance, Change in sleep patterns, Loss of energy, Change in weight
Reasons for tackling work-related stress and mental ill health in the workplace
In general terms, reducing work-related stress can help to:
- make employees healthier and happier at work
- improve performance and productivity
- reduce absence levels
- avoid workplace disputes, and
- make the organisation more attractive to job seekers
It is generally accepted that healthy and motivated people will:
- go ‘the extra mile’
- give good customer service
- take fewer sick days off work, and
- provide commitment and creativity
Good employment relations are built upon:
- effective policies for managing people issues such as communication, absence, grievances and occupational health
- high levels of trust between employees and managers; trust is often nurtured by involving employees in decision-making and developing an open style of communication
Disability considerations
It is also important to remember an employee’s mental health condition may amount to a disability under the Equality Act 2010. If so, an employer will need to bear in mind the risk of discrimination and other prohibited conduct claims. The employer may also be under an active duty to make reasonable adjustments.
HR Connect offers a range of services to support employers in dealing with mental health issues in the workplace.
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