Practical tools to help support mental health in the workplace on World Mental Health Day

“The experience I have had is that once you start talking about [experiencing a mental health struggle], you realise that actually, you’re part of quite a big club.”

So said Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, when commenting on his own struggles with mental health.

Whether you’re a prince or a pauper, aged eighteen or eighty-eight, everyone is at risk of developing a mental health condition at some point in their lives. This may be as simple as experiencing stress at work, or it could be a chronic condition that requires hospital treatment.

As such, it is vitally important that everyone is aware of how prevalent poor mental health can be and know where to go when they need to help others or get help themselves.

World Mental Health Day is a way of highlighting this topic and reinforcing the important message that mental health needs to be a priority for all. October the 10th is World Mental Health Day and this year’s theme is “Make mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority”.

The World Federation for Mental Health, which organises the awareness day, seeks to promote the advancement of mental health awareness, prevention of mental disorders, advocacy, and best practice recovery-focused interventions worldwide.

Those working in HR have long known that mental health should be a priority for employees to work at their best in the workplace. Accordingly, there has been significant progress in supporting workers’ mental health in the workplace in recent decades.

Why we still need to think about mental health in the workplace

A recent report surveying employees’ experience of mental health and wellbeing in the workplace suggests that a good proportion of employers recognise the importance of putting mental health and wellbeing at the top of their priority list. Around half of those surveyed said their organisations take a strategic approach to employee wellbeing.

But there is still some way to go. Around 36% of the organisations surveyed are more “reactive” rather than “proactive” in terms of supporting their employees’ mental health.

In years gone by, those employers who were wanting to be more proactive in this area resorted to onsite councillors or annual seminars on the topic. These methods are well-meaning and do have some impact, but are reliant on teams being physically present and can have a “one-size-fits-all” approach to mental health problems. There was also the potential that colleagues who worked part-time slipped through the cracks, particularly if seminars were held on the same day each year.

With the workplace changing to accommodate more flexible working patterns, including remote working, how can those of us who work in HR ensure that we are supporting our employees in this area?

We want to highlight five practical tools employers can use proactively, to really support their team to maintain their mental health.

1.   Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs)

An employee assistance programme (EAP) is a work-based intervention programme designed to support employees with personal or work-related problems. EAPs typically provide confidential counselling, advice and referral services to employees and their families.

Our EAP, Lifeworks, seeks to provide easy-to-digest information about mental health conditions and quick access to a real mental health professional when needed. Employees can access the app at any time, ensuring they get the help they need wherever they are. This makes the digital platform a fantastic tool for remote workers or hybrid teams and ensures even part-time staff get help throughout the week.

‍Learn more about our EAP of choice, LifeWorks

2.   MyMindPal

You may already be aware of many EAP programs for employees that provide resources and help when staff are experiencing problems. But how can you reduce the chance of the general ups and downs of life developing into more severe mental health conditions?

This is where MyMindPal comes in. This handy little app can be downloaded onto your mobile phone and allows your team to build up their mental resilience using a variety of activities and quizzes. As time goes on, the app’s algorithm responds to the user’s answers and adapts to include challenges that are specifically tailored to the user’s needs. This ensures that all employees make progress at their own pace and in ways that they need.

‍Learn more about MyMindPal

3.   Mental Health First Aid

For those of us who are tasked with ensuring workers are cared for fairly, supporting employees with mental health conditions can feel like a very daunting prospect. Mental health is by its very nature hard to spot; sometimes those who are struggling with it don’t even know that they are poorly. How can we ensure that we are even identifying those who need support?

This is where our Mental Health First Aid courses can help. Via a series of online workshops, you can be trained to identify the signs of poor mental health in others. Our virtual Mental Health First Aid training course is delivered in four half-day sessions over the course of two weeks. Courses include two live sessions and two sessions that are self-directed.

During our course you will take an in-depth look at various mental health conditions, discussing the misconceptions that can develop around them. You will learn about the factors that affect our mental health, and the different resources available to support those who are suffering.

This course delivers peace of mind that you will be able to identify those who are suffering and get them the support they need.

‍Learn more about our Mental Health First Aid course

4.   Well being coaching

So much of our mental health is tied to other parts of our lives. Physical illness and pain can cause mental health conditions such as depression, and a poor lifestyle can leave us feeling low and lacking motivation.

Wellbeing coaching is designed to look at the big picture in order to address areas of their lives where small changes can bring about big improvements.

From resting well, to getting enough sleep, from eating the right food to dealing with stress, these coaching sessions work to support all areas of life. In doing so, they ensure that there’s the best possible chance that employees stay mentally well.

In particular, the “Work Well” component supports people at work, helping workers build mental resilience in the workplace and educating them on issues such as stress, anxiety and burnout.

‍Learn more about our Wellbeing Coaching sessions

5.   Financial Wellbeing

It might seem strange to include an app on Financial Wellbeing in a list of tools designed to support mental health. But the link between financial trouble and poor mental health is long understood.

According to some surveys, nearly half (46%) of people in problem debt also have a mental health problem. Providing support in this area of your team’s lives can have a positive knock-on effect and reduce how frequently they struggle with mental health conditions.

There are three modules available as part of this solution, Financial Wellbeing Education, Financial Wellbeing Personal Debt Advice and Financial Wellbeing Lending. The first provides a range of educational resources on managing personal finances, and the second gives your team access to confidential advice should they need it. The last allows your employees to borrow between £1,000 to £25,000 and pay their loans back via their monthly salary.

Adopted together, these programs provide a comprehensive package of care that supports your staff, no matter their financial circumstances.

‍Find out more about our Financial Wellbeing solutions

Proactive apps for the workplace

Developing a proactive mental health strategy that supports your employees does not have to be difficult. An increasing range of online resources and apps allows employers to provide tailored solutions directly to their employees without the need for expensive and inflexible in-house strategies. These tools allow employees to build mental resilience, get access to help quickly, and make lifestyle changes that help their mental health long term. This can only be good news, helping staff to live and work at their best.