4 Strategies to Encourage Mental Health in the Workplace

During May, we see an increased discussion around mental health in support of Mental Health Awareness Month. While this is great, it is important that we dive deeper--not only to become aware of mental health but to also create workplaces that truly support employees’ wellbeing.  

More than 46 million adults in the United States have some kind of mental health condition, comprising one of the largest demographic groups in the country (1). These large numbers and events like the Coronavirus pandemic have caused organizations to reexamine their role in establishing mentally healthy workplaces (2).  

“Supporting employee mental health is central to creating a truly inclusive workplace. ”

Additionally, supporting employee mental health is paramount to establishing a truly inclusive workplace. Many diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies are centered on ensuring that employees have psychological safety. Acknowledging that marginalized groups are often disproportionately impacted by mental health concerns (3). further emphasizes the connection between effective DEI and mental health support. To achieve the well-established benefits of DEI strategies, such as increased employee engagement(4) and enhanced customer bases(5), organizations need to prioritize their employees’ mental health. Here’s how:

Four strategies your organization can engage to support mental health in the workplace:

Raise Awareness Across the Organization 

Acknowledge that it is human to have concerns with mental health and work to build a culture of acceptance. The fear of stigma and discrimination can impact how employees choose to discuss or address issues with mental health (6). Create a space that supports discussions and normalizes conversations surrounding mental health using some of the following strategies: 

• Share stories from other employees, especially organization leadership, regarding their experiences with mental health.  

• Promote events or theme communications around mental health. 

• Communicate the efforts that the organization is doing to support mental health of employees. 

Encourage Flexibility Where Possible  

Supporting flexible work arrangements is a noted accommodation that helps support employee well-being and can decrease employee stress and turnover and increase morale and productivity (7). Examples of enhancing flexibility can be: 

• Make it known that sick days can be used for mental as well as physical health. 

• Allow for different work times (such as early mornings or late evenings) if needed by an employee and possible for the type of work. 

  *This can benefit other employees, such as working parents, as well as folks with mental health conditions. 

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Model Strategies to Support Mental Health 

Leaders can directly impact workplace culture and play a unique role in supporting mental health. We know that workplace culture has a direct impact on employee wellbeing (8), and leaders should model strategies to facilitate a safe space for their employees (9). Some ways leaders can do this include: 

• Taking mental health leave themselves if needed, so employees know that seeking these supports is okay. 

• Schedule regular check-ins with colleagues and employees to make space for mental health discussions. 

• Offer training and coaching for managers so they are prepared to engage with employees about their mental health. 

Share Resources Widely 

Organizations often have a wide range of resources to support employee wellbeing. More than 90% of organizations report providing some kind of mental health services for their employees (10). However, we know that these types of services are often underutilized, with only 1-5% of employees engaging with them (11). To ensure that employees are able to engage in these types of resource, employers can: 

• Invest in employee assistance programs and health care benefits that provide mental health services. 

• Make accessing these resources easy for employees by regularly communicating what resources are available and how to utilize them. 

• Train human resource personnel and line managers about mental health service options (such as policies and benefits) so they can direct employees to the proper services when issues come up.  

Conclusion 

Mental health is an important dimension of successful diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. To support employee mental health, organizations should: raise awareness, encourage flexibility or influence workplace culture, model the use of mental health services, and share resources broadly with employees.   Encouraging a mentally healthy and psychologically safe environment can be a catalyst for ensuring all employees feel included, respected, and that they belong in the workplace.  

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 Sources 

1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2018). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No. SMA 18-5068, NSDUH Series H-53). Rockville, MD: Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/data/ 

2. Ward, M. (2020). 12 companies boosting benefits so employees don't feel isolated or lonely during the coronavirus crisis. Business Insider. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/companies-offering-more-mental-health-benefits-amid-coronavirus-2020-4  

3. American Psychiatric Association. 2021. Mental Health Disparities: Diverse Populations. Retrieved from: https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/cultural-competency/education/mental-health-facts  

4. Downey, S. N., van der Werff, L., Thomas, K. M., & Plaut, V. C. (2015). The role of diversity practices and inclusion in promoting trust and employee engagement. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 45(1), 35-44. 

5. Herring, C. (2009). Does diversity pay?: Race, gender, and the business case for diversity. American sociological review, 74(2), 208-224. 

6. Modecai, D. (2019). Mental health at work – why stigma is a workforce health issue. Kaiser Permanente. Retrieved from: https://business.kaiserpermanente.org/insights/mental-health-workplace/stigma-at-work. 

7. Schur, L., Nishii, L., Adya, M., Kruse, D., Bruyère, S. M., & Blanck, P. (2014). Accommodating employees with and without disabilities. Human Resource Management, 53(4), 593-621. 

8. Staglin, G. (2019) Creating a workplace culture that values mental health. Forbes. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/onemind/2019/05/06/creating-a-workplace-culture-that-values-mental-health/?sh=c9bcf7651ef2  

9. Society for Human Resource Management. (2019). Why mental health is the next frontier of diversity & inclusion. SHRM Conference. Retrieved from: https://conferences.shrm.org/conference/inclusion-2019-shifting-workplace-culture/session/why-mental-health-next-frontier 

10. Held, J. (2017). Mental Health and Substance Abuse Benefits Benchmarked. Benefits Quarterly, 33(1), 68–70.  

11. McRee, J. (2017). How Perceptions of Mental Illness Impact EAP Utilization. Benefits quarterly, 33(1), 37. 

Additional Reference:  

Parker Harris, S., Gould, R., and Mullin, C. (2019). ADA research brief: Mental health, employment and the ADA (pp. 1-6). Chicago, IL: ADA National Network Knowledge Translation Center. Retrieved from https://adata.org/research_brief/mental-health-employment-and-ada.  

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