There is more awareness now than ever surrounding the fact that our mental health and wellbeing is as important as our physical health and wellbeing. However, there are some alarming statistics which demonstrate that we aren’t necessarily doing as much as we can to combat mental health problems. In fact, issues such as anxiety, depression or stress-related conditions are becoming an increasingly common occurrence for many people. Statistics from the Mental Health Foundation, for example, claim that 1 in 4 British adults will experience at least one diagnosable mental health problem in the course of a year, and 1 in 6 will in their lifetime. It is therefore likely that we know someone from our personal or work life who is, or has been, affected by a mental health illness.

The Department of Health recently claimed that in the UK, an enormous 70 million days are lost each year due to mental ill health, making it now the leading cause of sickness absence. For people dealing with mental ill health, the work environment can often play a key role in exacerbating problems and stress. As a result many will avoid work, particularly if they don’t feel supported when there.

With this in mind, how can we specifically support those who we work with who are dealing with, or who are susceptible to, mental ill health?

1. If you are concerned about someone you work with and perceive that he or she may be struggling, take the time to ask if they are ok. See if it’s possible to have an informal, private chat over a cup of tea or coffee – a few minutes of your time can make a huge difference to someone’s day.
2. Think about the language you use and avoid words that can make people feel isolated, such as ‘mad’, ‘weird’, ‘mental’, etc. Try and build a respectful culture around mental health by feeling confident enough to model a positive attitude and language. Many people suffer in silence at work because they feel that people don’t understand, so this will help them feel supported instead of feeling worse.
3. Take the time to learn about mental health and the issues surrounding it via organisations such as Mind, Time to Change and the Mental Health Foundation, and read our blog on mental health and mindfulness. An increased awareness will make it easier to support those coping with these problems.
4. In the same way you might send a colleague a get well card if they are off work because of a physical illness, do the same for someone at work who is absent because of mental ill health. Including a line or two such as “I hope you feel better soon”, can make them feel supported and more likely to feel comfortable returning to work.
5. Accept that mental ill health is just as normal as physical ill health, and treat colleagues dealing with mental health issues as you would someone who has physical health problems.

The mental health charity Mind also has lots of resources and a good list of tips to help anyone to stay well at work. These include using your lunch break wisely, creating boundaries between home and work life, and finding ways to better use your commute home. Click here to read more and see the full list.

If you would like to learn more about the counselling and stress management service available to Imperial staff, please visit our page on Mental and Emotional wellbeing, or email us at wellbeing@imperial.nhs.uk.

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