Ending the Stigma of Mental Illness in the Workplace

Over the last few years, there has been an explosion of activity surrounding mental health and the workplace. There are numerous studies recommending what employers can do to improve the mental health of their workers. There has also been a ton of new companies claiming they can help with mental health, and have the data to back it up. As an employer, who do you trust and what is best for your employees? Who is going to give you the most return on the money you invest in a program? I used these questions as my guidance for trying.

First I wanted to see the government-based statistics on mental health. Is this something we need to support or is it just media hype? Using information from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), I found some interesting stats. At any given time in Canada there are 1 in 5 people suffering from a mental health condition. By the time a Canadian is 40, 1 in 2 have suffered a mental illness. (These statistics hold true as well in the United States).

18.1% of adults in the U.S. experienced an anxiety disorder such as post traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and specific phobias. There is also a link between mental health and physical health; those suffering from chronic pain are more likely to suffer mood episodes. Statistics also showed that mental illness was the leading cause of disability in Canada. As for actual costs, it’s staggering. It is estimated that over $51B a year are lost in the economy due to mental health, when considering all factors. CAMH found that the cost of a disability leave related to mental illness is double the cost of a disability leave for a physical illness. My conclusion – mental wellness is definitely worth the investment.

Secondly, what is ‘mental health’? At a recent Workplace Safety Prevention Services (WSPS) mental health discussion day, we met and broke down ‘what is mental health’? Immediately some of the group related mental health to negative connotations such as depression, anxiety and self-harm. The group was then asked their current level of ‘health’ that day. The group all responded in a positive manner on how they were feeling. We were then asked what does ‘health’ mean? We determined that health was actually more like a rating scale. Was I feeling good in health, poor in health or just doing ok? The exact same can be said for mental health. I could be feeling positive in my mental health, poor, or just ok. The fact that our group had immediately deemed mental health in a negative light was the first step in moving towards changing the stigma of the words. The immediate negativity behind the words ‘mental health’ play a huge role in how mental health is perceived in a workplace.

The stigma is the next topic we discussed as a group. This was something we could all understand. Anyone can understand fear, shame and embarrassment in telling someone something personal about themselves. With the mental health stigma, it is even harder. As the group concluded, we all felt a negative association with mental health. We are not unique in that thought. When people reveal they are fighting a mental illness we see them in a weaker light. Michael Landsberg from TSN has started a website to tackle this stigma called sicknotweak.com. His approach has worked to decrease the negativity behind mental illness. But according to stats from CAMH, 39% of workers would not tell their manager if they had a mental health condition. Which I can’t argue with, as that same study showed 64% of Ontario workers would be concerned about how work would be affected if a colleague had a mental illness.

All of these statistics and studies indicate that a mental health program is a worthwhile endeavor for companies to undertake, but where is the best place to start? What can be done to help your company? I would recommend choosing someone at your workplace to be your mental health champion (or depending on size of company a mental health team). These people will be your first line in changing your culture and eliminating the stigma behind mental illness. This can be done by encouraging an open atmosphere and working with your employees. A great starting point is with WSPS. They worked with the Mental Health Commission of Canada and have created a Mental Health First Aid course. This is an excellent course to help increase the knowledge of mental health illnesses and how to best help your employees who are suffering from a form of mental illness.

This is just the beginning. As you start to learn more about the mental wellness of your employees, you will adjust to your own findings and your program will change and grow into what works best for you. Along the way, remember to treat everyone with respect and care and help end the stigma.

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