From anxiety to sleep problems to depression, mental health disorders have increased in recent years, lifting the veil on a subject that has long remained taboo. However, a recent survey reveals that these issues are still insufficiently addressed in the workplace.
Only 58% of employees surveyed in the latest study by the US-based National Alliance on Mental Illness say they are comfortable talking about their mental health at work. Yet almost three-quarters think it’s an appropriate topic of conversation in the workplace.
Many are reluctant to talk about the psychological difficulties they are going through, because they fear risking their job or future prospects if they confide in their colleagues, especially their superiors.
Managers also feel ill-prepared to address this topic: seven in 10 senior executives say they have not received any specific training on how to discuss mental health with their colleagues. This is hardly surprising, given that managerial culture traditionally separates private life from professional life.
However, workers increasingly want their employers to take an interest in their personal situation so that they can offer adjustments if necessary. However, the trend towards this new management style is not always without difficulties.
Talking about mental health at work requires a certain amount of tact. It is important to create an environment conducive to trust, sharing and dialogue, without encroaching on the private sphere of employees. The idea is not that employers solve the psychological problems of their employees, but rather that they take them into consideration.
Indeed, mental health has a direct impact on capacity and performance at work: a third of employees surveyed say that their productivity is affected by psychological problems. Conversely, 36% of respondents said their work took a toll on their mental well-being.
It is therefore essential to talk more freely about mental health in the workplace, and companies would do well to break the taboos surrounding this subject, both from a human resources and financial perspective.
In fact, the World Health Organization estimates that every US dollar invested in treating depression and anxiety returns US$4 in the form of improved general health and job performance.
