The Relationship Between Mental Health and the Workplace (Part 1)

In order to explore the interaction of Mental Health and the workplace, first we must have an understanding of mental health. I’d like to introduce the concept of mental health as an extension of (and in likeness to) physical health. In the same way each of us has a level of physical health, we also each have mental health. Our physical health may vary according to the impact of illness; injury; and level of exercise or fitness. Mental health is similarly variable depending on the perceived presence of stress, and environmental stressors in relation to our perceived ability to manage the same. The workplace is one arena that may have a significant influence on our stress levels.

There is an extent to which we can take responsibility and accountability for our own health (either physical or mental), and also spaces in which these states are influenced by others or our environment. For our physical well-being we can take precautions and proactive measures to protect and maximise our health. Some examples of this might include exercise, healthy eating, and wearing weather-appropriate clothing.

Our mental health is a combination of: biological factors; pre-existing experiences; vulnerabilities; the measures we take to maintain it; and the way in which external factors impact us. Measures we take to maintain our mental health may include: regular participation in enjoyable activities; engaging in activities we find purposeful; feeling we have the skills required to complete a given task; interest in the task; our felt power to influence a situation; and whether the timeframe given for completion is reasonable.

External factors that may impact our mental health could include: when we contract a cold or other contagious condition through exposure to another; injury through accident; interactions with others; and when a close friend/family member/pet dies. The way in which we cope with these events is often influenced by our pre-existing state of health, in combination with any whether it affects an area of vulnerability – In mental health this is considered as our pre-existing level of resilience.

Resilience is our ability to cope or ‘recover’ when things don’t go to plan. Previous experiences, intensity and frequency of stressors, number of stressors, and type of stress can all affect our level of resilience in a given situation. When we work to build and maintain our mental health, we are raising our levels of resilience in order to give ourselves the best chances of coping with the natural variation of events we may face in the course of day-to-day life.

Work environments can play a significant role in our mental health. For some the workplace represents a place of achievement, purpose, and a means to financially support lifestyle & activities outside of work hours. For these people work usually represents a positive impact on their mental health. Some may also see work as a safe space away from challenges occurring in their personal life. For others work can be a source of challenges – insecurity, performance anxiety, social anxiety, social exclusion, persecution, perfectionism and more.

One significant challenge in recognising someone’s state of mental health is that it’s usually far less openly visible than their state of physical health. It’s easy to spot a broken leg, or when someone has the flu, however depression, anxiety, stress, and other mental health concerns can be much harder (if not impossible) to spot in another being. In short – someone could be experiencing a high level of stress without you being aware of it.

High levels of stress can impact an individual in a number of ways. Some of the most common symptoms are: increased physical tension and headaches ,difficulties focusing, tiredness, restlessness, poorer quality of sleep (difficulty falling asleep, broken sleep, or tiredness on waking), reduced enthusiasm to go to work, feeling as though tasks require more effort, ‘racing’ thoughts, increased difficulties in prioritising tasks or breaking down tasks, feelings of overwhelm, and low mood.

Understandably if an employee is experiencing these symptoms, it is easy to see how they are likely to have a significant impact on work performance and absentee rates. If you are experiencing difficulties with concentration it is likely to take longer to understand and complete tasks, and there is a higher chance of inaccuracies and mistakes occurring in the completed work. If you are not getting a good quality sleep, then chances are you will be tired throughout the day and not able to perform to your best ability in your work role. Symptoms of stress can become part of a vicious cycle, in that they make it harder for the person to perform well in their role. Poorer performance in a work role induces further increases in stress, and often associated decreases in sense of self-worth, which can give rise to fears of job loss or negative feedback from managers or clientele (and any associated reprimands/consequences). A more ‘visible’ sign that employers can keep an eye out for may be any change in productivity, either positive or negative. Noticing and being curious about such changes allow opportunities to discover methods that are working well for an employee (most likely resulting in positive changes in productivity), or ways in which they are experiencing challenges either within or externally to the workplace.

For an employer the increased likelihood of absentee days; reduction in efficiency; and associated higher rates of burnout coupled with reduction in output from employees all amounts to lower productivity and poorer company results overall. Higher rates of burnout are likely to yield higher rates of staff turnover, leading to increased costs in hiring and training replacement staff. Given this information, it truly does pay for a company to invest in supporting the mental health of its employees.

For strategies to manage these issues and further understand the relationship between mental health and the workplace, stay tuned for part 2.