Let’s talk about mental health
In observance of Mental Health Awareness Week earlier this month, an online news site endeavored to explain to readers what depression sounds like by having a person suffering from the mental illness describe what a depressive episode feels like.
The man, who is 22 and has been suffering from depression for the past eight years, said it felt like standing in the middle of the Colosseum in Rome while it was packed to the rafters with people berating and insulting him. Except that all those people were actually him. The abusive voices were his inner voices. And he was defenseless against himself.
It can’t be easy to explain that to someone you love who has no personal knowledge of depression. Can you imagine explaining that to a work colleague? How about to your boss?
Despite how far we’ve come on so many fronts, mental health remains a taboo subject, perhaps particularly at work. Employees who may be experiencing symptoms of a mental illness feel scared or ashamed to talk about what they are going through for fear of suffering discrimination or, worse, of losing their employment.
And yet mental health is something we should be talking about in the workplace considering how much time we spend at work and how conditions there can greatly affect our mental well-being.
Just a few months ago, a string of suicides involving teachers was blamed on their heavy workloads, prompting the Department of Education to launch an investigation and to make a commitment to pay closer attention to mental health in the academic community.
Mental health refers to a person’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how one thinks, feels, and acts. People struggling with a mental illness often have a more difficult time managing their overall health.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 24 percent of the global population or over 450 million people around the world suffer from some form of mental or neurological disorder.
Here in the Philippines, anecdotal evidences from local mental health practitioners reveal a drastic increase in suicide cases and mental illnesses, especially among the youth. And while there are several factors that may lead to poor mental health, one of the more common threads binding these cases is the feeling of disconnectedness. Despite, or maybe because of, the many ways people are now able to connect virtually through social media and new technology, young Filipinos are struggling to make genuine connections and to build solid relationships.
How do we spot these individuals in the workplace and how can we help?
In a 2017 report entitled, Mental health and employers: The case for investment, Deloitte looked at the different ways some key countries are addressing mental health in the workplace.
In Germany, the government partnered with insurance institutions to develop a program that aims to reduce health risk caused by work-related stress. One of the initiatives under that program involves qualifying 6,000 German labor inspectors in the field of psychological stress and strain at work so that they can competently support and supervise companies in caring for their employees’ mental health.
The Canadian government drew up the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Satefy in the Workplace – a set of voluntary guidelines, tools, and resources that can guide organizations in promoting mental health and preventing psychological harm at work. It includes information such as the psychological hazards in the workplace, and practices that support and promote psychological health.
Australia’s National Mental Health Commission partnered with the business community to provide strategies and resources to all major actors in the workplace so they can promote mental health. One of the resources is a general training in mental health, such as mental health first aid programs, that is available to all employees.
With the signing of the Philippine Mental Health Law in June this year, we have also taken a significant step towards prioritizing mental health and making intervention and treatment programs available to all Filipinos. On our part, as leaders, mentors, and colleagues at work, we can add to that effort by giving our coworkers safe spaces where they can talk about any problems or issues that may be affecting their mental health. A simple, “How are you,” or, “Let’s talk,” can make all the difference to somebody who is suffering silently with a mental disorder. It may even save someone’s life.
The author is a registered nurse and is a Human Resources Manager at Navarro Amper & Co., the local member firm of Deloitte Southeast Asia Ltd. – a member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited – comprising Deloitte practices operating in Brunei, Cambodia, Guam, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
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