Mental Health and employment

Lets lose the stigma

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We all have mental health issues at some point in our lives, regardless of whether or not they have been given a clinical label. Grief at the loss of a loved one, depression from long term unemployment, drinking more than is healthy on a regular basis to forget bad memories.

Mental health is a continuum. Sometimes people drop off the deep end for a while.

This can be due to stressful circumstances in life that mount up and up until they just can't be coped with any more, either because too many different types of shit hit the fan in one go, or because that fan just doesn't stop whizzing round distributing a specific chronic flavour. Or it can be down to long term trauma responses like post traumatic stress disorder or a mental illness like obsessive compulsive disorder or bipolar disorder that temporarily gets the better of someone due to a known or unknown trigger.

Just because someone has a breakdown or burnout once does not necessarily mean that it will happen again, but some people with long term mental health conditions do need to be allowed to manage those conditions in the work place in the same way as someone with diabetes or angina can. Even with a lifelong mental illness like bipolar disorder, with the proper management it could be years, or even decades, between bouts of actual illness.

The point is, we are all people, and those who happen to have been diagnosed with mental health issues are no more, and no less, of a ‘liability’ than someone who breaks their leg skiing and ends up in traction for 2 months. If someone has been diagnosed with mental health issues, it is often because they purposely sought help and are therefore responsible people, determined to manage their mental health and get on with life, including work. If they haven't sought help yet, an effective and caring manager will encourage them to reach out for that help so that they can get back to living well, and working well.

Deal with each person in your workplace with compassion and understanding, and do not let the stigma from a label stop you from utilising that person's skills where it will benefit your organisation. In cases of work related stress, take a step back and look at whether what you were asking for is actually possible. In life related stress be an empathetic listener. Be understanding if someone needs to pull in their antennae and go no contact sometimes to get back on an even keel. And if you see any staff member or team member struggling alone, encourage them to reach out for help.