Mental health is everyone’s business
Mental health is everyone’s business
October is recognised as mental health awareness month. Mental Health is a topic that is spoken about more frequently in recent years with a range of well know public health campaigns driving conversations to raise awareness around the topic as well as highlighting available services and attempting to reduce stigma.
A workplace can play a large role in an individual’s mental health, possessing the power to have a negative or a positive influence. The most recent ABS National Survey estimated there are 4.7 million Australians (20%) with a mental health condition in any given year and almost half (45%) of Australians will experience a mental illness at some stage in their life. Of these people, 54% do not have access to any treatment or don’t seek treatment. These sobering statistics depict how important it is to continue these conversations and strive to lower the numbers.
In the not so distant past, mental health was an area that people did not understand, and often feared. The effects of poor mental health can be felt by not only the employee but the employer as well; an individual’s mental, emotional and physical health can suffer and an organisation may see an increase in absenteeism, decrease in productivity levels and damage to workplace relationships.
Fortunately, new research shows a number of organisations who are offering mental wellbeing initiatives and programs to staff has doubled in the last five years. Fostering a workplace that is supportive to mental health disclosures starts with culture; staff need to see that mental wellbeing is a priority of the organisation.
Implementing a mental health policy, offering mental health training to leaders, providing staff with resources, running company wide wellbeing programs and supporting mental health charities are all steps that can be taken by businesses to support the mental health of their staff.
Morris Finance has executed a Health and Wellbeing Program for their staff with Mental Health being one of the main action areas.
