Mind Share Partners is a US-based nonprofit organization focused on changing the culture of workplace mental health so that employees and organizations can thrive. It helps employers create mentally healthy workplaces through consulting and training, and is building a national movement to change the landscape around work
What are the socioeconomic costs of poor workplace mental health?
Poor workplace mental health is costly for individuals, companies, and society as a whole. For businesses, the costs show up in decreased productivity, disengagement, higher healthcare expenses, and both short-term and long-term leaves. If your employees are not well, your company will suffer as a result. Investing in employees’ wellbeing – who are the backbone of your business – yields significant returns.
We often hear about issues like burnout, depression, and anxiety, which are nearly universal today. But there’s more to it now; we’re seeing an increase in isolation, a decline in trust in institutions – including employers – and diminishing returns for workers, especially those who are most marginalized.
These problems deeply affect individuals, limiting their ability to lead happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives. Unfortunately, we are observing these challenges on a larger scale within the population.
What are the challenges in understanding mental health issues and stigma in the workplace?
There has been a significant increase in individuals advocating for mental health and overall wellbeing in the workplace. This shift is partly reflected in the ‘Great Resignation,’ which, although it occurred several years ago, hasn’t completely faded. People are actively reevaluating their priorities in both their professional and personal lives. A common theme is the desire to show up at work authentically and achieve a proper work-life integration, however one may define it.
However, this progress brings several challenges. The first challenge is how broadly we define mental health. While it’s beneficial that many more people are talking about mental health, this widespread familiarity can lead to misunderstandings about the severity of mental health issues when we oversimplify or trivialize them.
The second challenge is stigma. It’s a term everyone knows, but in a workplace context, what it really reflects is a deeper issue with what the corporate world values. When we discuss poor mental health at work, it’s often a result of prioritizing business outcomes over humanity, so people may feel unsafe sharing their challenges due to work pressures and the expectations around what it means to be a good employee. This contributes to the stigma surrounding mental health.
The third challenge is the focus of workplace mental health discussions. We often talk about individuals, but we don’t address the systemic issues that contribute to poor mental health. Work has become an all-consuming part of our daily lives. For instance, layoffs have become standard business practice, though they weren’t always so commonplace. Today’s environment tends to increasingly manage people through mandates rather than empowering them.
These issues underscore the need for broader discussions about power dynamics, inequity, social justice, and worker voice – topics that are often overlooked in workplace mental health efforts so far, which typically focuses on benefits, stigma, and work-life balance.
Are there notable differences in the barriers to seeking support across various sectors and demographics?
The issue of mental health is a deeply individual experience that varies on a larger scale, influenced by factors such as industry, region, and company culture. There are notable differences. For instance, historically, men have been raised in a way that discourages vulnerability, leading to a tendency for men to avoid seeking help or discussing their mental health. While everyone doesn’t need to be open about their mental health, during critical times when support is required, men often haven’t been encouraged to reach out.
Women and many historically marginalized groups may face prejudice and discrimination in the workplace. When they raise concerns, they might not be heard or treated with the same respect as others. These various factors combine to create significant barriers that prevent individuals from feeling good about showing up to work and performing at their best. Over time, these accumulating challenges can lead to poor mental health experiences in the workplace.
What steps are needed to truly support individuals in the workplace?
The first step is to ask the right questions. Many companies often look at what others are doing without taking time to understand the root causes within their own organization. It’s important to remember that every industry, region, and even individual team is unique.
When discussing these root causes, we can categorize them using what we call the ABCs of mental health:
- A for Agency: Having the time, resources, autonomy, and flexibility needed to perform your job effectively.
- B for Belonging: Being able to show up at work and feel connected and supported by both your team and the larger organization.
- C for Career: This encompasses enjoying the work you do, feeling recognized, and having growth opportunities.
- S for Safety: This includes physical, psychological, mental, financial, and occupational safety.
To truly understand how these factors impact your employees, you need to engage with them actively. This can be accomplished through surveys, focus groups, or interviews. The key is to listen to what your employees are saying.
Often, I observe employers chasing best practices recommended by experts without aligning them with the actual concerns expressed by their employees regarding burnout or mental health issues. While workload can be a factor, so can poor prioritization and excessive change, particularly when inadequate training or resources are available to manage it.
More commonly, I see employers opting for quick fixes like meditation apps, mindfulness programs, or AI therapy chatbots. These tools can help individuals cope, but they often overlook the crucial aspect of workplace mental health: the work culture itself.
Another significant barrier is that employers tend to focus on support systems, such as benefits and wellness programs, rather than addressing the underlying issues. While these resources are important and foundational, it’s essential to recognize that many mental health challenges in the workplace stem from the work environment itself. Issues like work-life balance, flexibility, and the diminishing returns on the effort employees exert can significantly impact their mental health.
It’s also important to consider how the nature of work itself has changed. The weekly hours that people are putting in today are not the same as the hours worked just ten years ago. Work has become more intense and complex, and is often less designed to be sustainable for humans. Unfortunately, it seems to be more focused on business outcomes.
A mentally healthy workplace is defined by the mental health of its people. You can have the best-in-class benefits and employees with bad mental health.
Ultimately, the next steps needed are less about steps than they are about a shift in employers’ values and priorities. What would be most impactful is grounding efforts in the voice of your people, and investing in not just programs and resources but a business strategy that actually solves the root causes of poor mental health at work – in other words, the ‘work’ part of workplace mental health.
