For many of us, work is where we spend most of our waking hours. Because we devote so much time to our work environment, certain needs must be met from our employers so that business can run efficiently and productively. I have chosen the topic of mental health in the workplace, as it is an area where I believe employers should focus more attention to in order to have a better understanding of the challenges their employees may face. A productive employee who is able to meet their scheduling requirements and perform to the best of their ability, contributes to the growth of the company, which then stimulates the Canadian economy. According to a study done in 2011, “In any given year, one in five people in Canada experiences a mental health problem or illness, with a cost to the economy of well in excess of $50 billion”.1 Companies and organizations in our country need to increase their awareness about this issue, so that their human resource departments can begin to develop and implement strategies to foster mental wellness in the workplace, as well as to start preventing these major costs to the company and our economy. We will begin by discussing why people are finding themselves mentally unhealthy while in the workplace. The Globe and Mail conducted an online survey called “Your Life at Work” over a yearlong period (Feb. 2014- Feb. 2015).2 During this time, they had 7,300 respondents and 59 percent reported feeling stressed and on-edge, while feeling unable to
At the psychological level, stressful and poor working conditions can cause continuing feelings of humiliation, insecurity and worthlessness. Not having a secure understanding of the future can cause large amounts of anxiety and futility that roots high levels of fatigue from day-to-day life, therefore making everyday coping difficult. Individuals who experience high levels of prolonged stress often attempt to relieve these pressures by adopting unhealthy coping behaviours; for example, the excessive use of alcohol, smoking, and
Mental health is essential to overall health as well as efficiency. It is the foundation for thriving contributions to family, district, and culture. All through the lifespan, mental health is the source of thoughts and communication skills, knowledge, pliability, and self-esteem. It is all too easy to dismiss the worth of mental health until troubles emerges (Brager, G. & Holloway, S., 1978). Mental health troubles and illnesses are factual and disabling conditions that are experienced by one in five Americans. Those who do not get treatment, mental illnesses can consequence in disability and desolation for families, schools, societies, and the workplace.
Today, protecting and strengthening our ‘mental health’ could not be more important. With our quick pace, 24/7 culture, we face more stress from our daily lives than before. Many of us work extended hours or multiple jobs, and take fewer vacations. In fact, one in three American employees is chronically overworked. The line between work and home life is often blurred so home is no longer a place of rest. Sleep and exercise feel like luxuries. We are eating poorly more often. We are constantly bombarded with information. We are also more disconnected from family, friends, and neighbors, and less engaged in our communities than we use to be. Trusting in one another has steadily declined over the last 30 years. Children aren’t immune either; many are racing from on activity to another without any downtime.(2007 Mental Health America.)
At the individual level, lack of proper treatment for poor mental health and mental illness has a detrimental effect. At a population level, society also suffers from the burden resulting from the lack of treatment options for poor mental health and mental illness, due to loss of productivity from those crippled by poor mental health and mental illness. Evidence has begun to emerge showing that lack of treatment for mental illness -specifically depressive disorders - has been linked “with increased prevalence of chronic diseases.” Currently it is estimated about 26% of adults in the United States suffer from depression.
As a company or business you should ensure that all your employees are trained and have up to date knowledge of ways to promote good mental health and well being, this applies to the workers themselves and how to promote good mental health and well being for the service users they support. By educating your staff in the appropriate ways this will allow them to educate service users on how to achieve good mental health and well being for themselves.Other ways to support individuals to promote positive mental health for themselves are as follows;
Mental health matters, and whether employers know it or not, the psychological wellness of employees affects
Of the cost of mental illness to the Canadian economy- about $51 billion per year- a staggering $20 billion stems from workplace losses. (Statistics Canada, 2003)
Mental health is a significant and growing issue affecting almost half (45%) of the Australian population (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2017, p. 2). Mental health refers to a person’s state of psychological and emotional wellbeing where they have the ability to handle day-to-day stressors and function constructively in the community (World Health Organisation, 2013, p. 7). The impact of mental health is substantial in Australia with 7.8% of the total health expenditure spent on mental health associated services in 2014-15, this equates to roughly $8.5 billion (AIHW, p. 25). The distribution of mental health disorders in our society is unbiased and affects a wide variety of diverse individuals. Given this however, figures show
Mental health is defined as an individual’s optimal care in managing the stress of everyday life, through their own unique approach and can efficiently and successfully make vital contribution within the community they live in (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, 2013). Since a break in a person’s optimal mental state affects not only the individual but society, it is important to understand what it means to have a break in one’s state of mental health and the different categories that is associated with mental illness. Focus will also be paid to why there is a need for the reformation of the mental health act in Canada; the social determinants that is associated with mental health and their contribution to society’s health’s. Finally, focus also need to be placed on how mental health is being promoted to society the stigma generally associated with it.
Work related stress has been emerging as one of the main causes of adverse symptoms of mental health in today’s industrial societies. The direct result of excessive pressures and/or demands placed on individuals at work, work-related stress has caused some people to develop symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other adverse mental health effects. While it might be possible that other co-factors contribute to the development of anxiety and depression in some population groups, evidence suggests that pressure from works is more likely to trigger adverse reactions in some people. In fact, positive correlations have been established between symptoms of work stress and mental health problems. That is, it is not uncommon to witness loss of
Topic: Mental health is an increasingly vital part of general wellness in today’s fast-paced world.
We spend much of daily lives working. In fact, Americans spend about eight-times as many hours working as they do eating and drinking (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013). Approximately seven in ten Americans report that they experience symptoms of stress (Anderson, Belar, Breckler, Nordal, Ballard, Bufka, Bossolo & Bethune, 2013). Stress is elicited by a variety of psychological stimulus associated with our jobs, our residences, our social interactions, and the activities we engage in (p. 249, Franken, 2007). Many Americans live with the burden of an unsatisfying job as well as a stressful workplace. An online survey of 1,848 people in the United States, conducted by the American Psychological Association, found that 74 percent of
Health and wellness in the workplace is crucial to business success. Increasingly, it is recognized that the workplace itself has a powerful affect on people’s health. When people are satisfied with their job, they are more productive and tend to be healthier. When employees feel that the environment at work is negative, they feel stressed. Stress has a large impact on employee mental and physical health, and in turn, on productivity. Companies that promote healthy lifestyle habits for employees to improve their health, often take the success of the company to heart and are likely to be absent less often for health related reasons.
Stress is a common issue that faces every human being in different times. Stress can be caused by many factors, but one of the main reasons is work which is called occupational stress or work-related stress. Job stress does not only affect the employees’ performance within an organization, but also it affects their general health. Stress has become a challenge for employers now because high level stress results in low productivity, increased absenteeism and other problems like alcoholism, drug abuse and hypertension (Ahmad, Mohamed. 2017). It became a major problem for employers especially in developing countries where they don’t realize the importance of work-life balance and the impact of stress on the productivity level and the job
The lack of acknowledgment of the declination of mental health has caused many issues with not only the efficiency of the companies themselves but also the overall health of the employees. The pressure that is put on employees in the workplace goes to demonstrate the