Mental Health in an Unequal World: How to make sure every worker gets the same great care

How can you support the mental health of a diverse workforce?

That’s the challenge facing many of us involved in HR, and it’s an issue that will be highlighted by Mind during this year’s World Mental Health Day.

The charity has shared some startling statistics about how instances of mental health affect some groups of people within our society more than others. The statics make for sober reading and reveal just how poor mental health affects some groups more than others.

Women in full-time employment are nearly twice as likely to have a common mental health problem as full-time employed men (19.8% vs 10.9%). Children and adults living in households in the lowest 20% income bracket in Great Britain are two to three times more likely to develop mental health problems than those in the highest.

These statistics suggest that not everyone begins from an equal starting point in life. Upbringing, educational opportunities, social-economic background and access to healthcare all impact how well one will respond when we suffer from poor mental health.

Anyone is at risk of developing a mental health condition, and those involved in HR need to ensure that all staff, regardless of their background, have access to mental health resources and support when they need it.

Before we look at practical steps to provide equal access to mental health support, it is important to explain why it is so important that businesses invest in mental health wellbeing.

The prevalence of mental health issues among employees

As the chaos of getting through the daily “to-do” list consumes our energy, it can be tempting to have a reactionary approach to dealing with poor mental health in the workplace. As decent people, most of us working in the world of HR would respond if a staff member displayed obvious symptoms of a mental health condition, or if they seemed to be taking a long period of time off.

But having a more robust, proactive approach to mental health wellbeing is good for business.

The Health and Safety Executive reported that in the UK, 17.9 million working days were lost due to stress, anxiety or depression during 2019/20 alone.  Not only do those working in HR have a moral duty to ensure that staff are mentally well at work, there is a real incentive for businesses to invest in supporting staff as poor mental health can have a negative impact on productivity, staff attendance and morale.

Investing a small amount, proactively, in the mental wellbeing of your staff, can save a company much in terms of days lost and overall productivity in the long run.

But faced with the challenge of supporting a diverse workforce, how can we ensure that everyone gets equal access to support when they need it?

1.   Acknowledge that it exists

We cannot tackle a problem until we recognise that the problem exists in the first place.

When we fail to recognise that all of us might struggle with mental health issues at different times during our life, we can unintentionally create a stigma that prevents people from getting help when they need it. Acknowledging that mental health exists and that we will all be affected by poor mental health to some degree at some point in our lives is an important first step to building a safe culture at work. This safe culture is the bedrock on which you can build a successful support structure.

This culture cannot be developed overnight. It takes a concerted effort on the part of management, HR and employees. But those with key positions of responsibility have a key role to play in highlighting the importance of promoting a safe space in the workplace.

A practical approach might be appointing a Mental Health Advocate, whose role would be to raise awareness at key points throughout the year and promote any resources that the company provides in the form of wellbeing benefits.

2.   Generate awareness

Once a company has acknowledged that mental health is an issue that they need to tackle, they need to ensure that everyone else knows about it too.

Mind, the mental health awareness charity, has some helpful campaign posters that can be downloaded from their site, which can act form a useful starting point for any awareness campaign you may want to run in the run-up to World Mental Health Day.

3.   Get educated

Thirdly, we need to ensure that everyone properly understands the issues surrounding mental health.

As an employer or Human Resources practitioner, your role is to ensure that your staff are well cared for whilst at work. Ensuring that you are aware of the warning signs of poor mental health in your employees can be an important step in building a safe environment.

‍Mental health first aid courses can be a vital source of information for those who have roles that involve the management of other staff members. They can help you spot the signs and get the right level of support to your staff member, quickly.

But education needs to happen at all levels and in all departments throughout your company. A big part of improving the outcomes for all requires one to ensure that you level up people’s understanding. You cannot take it for granted that everyone has the same understanding of mental health conditions that you may do.

This is where products like Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) come in handy. Employee Assistance Programmes are digital platforms that your employees can access at any time. The platforms provide a wealth of resources about the different types of mental health conditions. This allows your team to fill in the gaps in their knowledge, at a pace that is comfortable for them.

4.   Provide resources to those who need them

It’s important to note that there are many different kinds of mental health issues. However, regardless of what kind of mental health issue you face, it’s essential to seek out the right treatment options.

Most EAPs not only educate, but they also provide instant access to medical support for those experiencing a crisis. This often takes the form of helplines that give them access to counsellors and mental health professionals. It means that your employees can be educated about mental health conditions, but also get direct access to professional support whenever they need it.

5.   Ensure equal access

This is where digital platforms come into their own. As they are, in their nature online, they are accessible anytime and from any place, you can get a WiFi or 4G signal, EAP apps can really help you provide resources to all your employees, regardless of their ethnicity, gender or work role once they have their log in details.

One practical activity that can be done to ensure that every one of your employees has access to your EAP of choice, is to conduct an audit into your employees’ access to the internet. Targetted support can then be given to those without adequate access.

Another strategy might be to hold surgery once a week, where staff can come in and speak to a member of your department and access the support that they need.

Ensuring telephone helplines are advertised at strategic points throughout your premises, such as the employee breakroom and washrooms, is an easy way to ensure equal access to crisis support.

But, in terms of levelling up and addressing inequalities amongst your staff, EAPs such as MyMindPal, can be a massive help. MyMindPal forces on building mental resilience in order to prevent mild mental conditions such as stress and anxiety. By engaging with short interactive challenges for ten minutes a day, an employee can identify personal stress points, learn a positive mindset and adapt to challenges they may face. All of this can prevent the development of mental health conditions.

What is more, the artificial intelligence built into the app, allows for each employee’s journey to be personalised to their circumstances, rate of progress and desired outcomes. This flexibility means that MyMindPal is not a one-size fits all approach. Instead, it provides a tailored solution suitable for a diverse workforce, meeting people where they are at, and building them up at their own pace to a place where they can face challenges head-on.

Equal access requires a levelling up approach

Every employee brings with them their own capacity for dealing with the challenges they will face in their life. Giving them all the support that they need requires a proactive approach to levelling up their knowledge of mental health issues and their own personal mental resilience.

Digital platforms and apps allow staff to access support whenever they want and wherever they are. But they also allow for personalisation, meaning you can level up inequalities affecting your workforce. They can be a great tool in the battle to address the inequalities some people experience.