Each year, World Mental Health Day is celebrated on 10 October. Set by the World Federation of Mental Health, this year’s theme is captioned workplace mental health.
Highlighting the importance of talking about mental health and normalising conversations on this aspect of wellbeing, the Mental Health Foundation states:
“Talking about our mental health can help us cope better with life’s ups and downs. So, on World Mental Health Day and beyond, why not check in with your friends, family, peers, or colleagues?”*1
Explaining further on this year’s focus, Mental Health Foundation states:
“The theme highlights the importance of addressing mental health and wellbeing in the workplace for the benefit of people, organisations, and communities.”
Studies on workplace practices
“A new Atticus study has found that mental health issues are now the most common workplace injury. And burnout, provoked by stress and anxiety, is the main culprit.”*2
Could this be said of religious organisations? Do Christians have the potential to excel in the workplace in terms of mental health practice? Are we ready and motivated to address this key issue?
An article published in July 2024 captioned –‘How Spiritual Health Contributes to Mental Wellbeing: Workplace Applications’ makes an interesting observation:
“Within the Christian faith in the UK, an estimated 90% of Church leaders have never had any training in mental health. They are good at Latin, Greek and Hebrew but do not recognise certain wellbeing issues.”*3
Our religious organisations would do well to embrace the theme for this year’s focus and get further advice on mental health in the workplace which can be found at: Mental Health At Work | Free Templates & Checklists (safety-adviser.co.uk)
What impacts mental health in the workplace?
Wouldn’t it be great to work in an environment where employees’ mental wellness and general wellbeing are a priority? This includes employment places and workspaces where people are valued, listened to intentionally, spoken to appropriately, and treated fairly, without bias, regardless of age, gender, race, disability, or any other circumstance.
How we treat people is key.
The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies factors that negatively impact mental health at work. They state:
“Poor working environments – including discrimination and inequality, excessive workloads, low job control and job insecurity – pose a risk to mental health.”*4
WHO continues:
“All workers have the right to a safe and healthy environment at work. Work can protect mental health. Decent work supports good mental health by providing:
- A livelihood.
- A sense of confidence, purpose and achievement.
- An opportunity for positive relationships and inclusion in a community and
- A platform for structured routines, among many other benefits.
For people with mental health conditions, decent work can contribute to recovery and inclusion, improve confidence and social functioning.”
WHO list the following risks to mental health at work:
- Under-use of skills or being under-skilled for work.
- Excessive workloads or work pace, understaffing.
- Long, unsocial or inflexible hours.
- Lack of control over job design or workload.
- Unsafe or poor physical working conditions.
- An organisational culture that enables negative behaviours.
- Limited support from colleagues or authoritarian supervision.
- Violence, harassment or bullying.
- Discrimination and exclusion.
- Unclear job role.
- Under- or over-promotion.
- Job insecurity, inadequate pay, or poor investment in career development, and
- Conflicting home/work demands.
Workplace tips for mental wellbeing
Listing good workplace practices to maintain and boost mental health in the workplace, the American Psychological Foundation, in their online article – ‘5 Ways to Improve Employee Mental Health’*5, highlights the following essentials:
1. Train your managers to promote health and wellbeing.
2. Increase employees’ options for where, when, and how they work.
3. Reexamine health insurance policies with a focus on employee mental health.
4. Listen to what your employees need and use their feedback to evolve.
5. Take a critical look at equity, diversity, and inclusion policies.
Employers have a duty of care to support their employees’ mental health. This year’s World Mental Health Day resources are a good starting point for equipping organisations to better support their employees and create a working environment in which they can thrive.
*1 https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/public-engagement/world-mental-health-day
*2 https://thewearychristian.com/mental-health-issues-are-now-the-1-workplace-injury/
*4Mental health at work (who. int)
*5 5 ways to improve employee mental health (apa.org)
See also:
