Inclusion: The Golden Ticket to Mental Health in the Workplace
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness’ (NAMI) 2021 statistic, about 23% of adults in the United States (US) have experienced a mental health illness.
I’m not sure about you, but when I see this percentage, I think to myself “that seems low.”
These statistics are based on data acquired at a respective point in time, which means a person had to come forward and either say yes, I fall in this category and/or receive a diagnosis from their physician. That said, NAMI also reports that the average amount of time that passes from when a person first experiences symptoms of mental health to when they seek treatment, assuming they do, is 11 years.
Timeframe aside, 11 years is long time to suffer, alone. I know this firsthand because I was once a person who suffered alone, and in silence; although I’ll be honest, it took me longer than 11 years to come forward. As I was drafting this article, I read a story about a man who, earlier this year ended his life, at work. His family, friends and colleagues still struggling to understand what was wrong when all appeared “good.” I couldn’t help but think that he too may have been trapped in this period of silence, not ready to come forward. Not feeling as though he could.
Although the road ahead to shorten this 11-year timeframe is long, I do believe that one of the levers we can pull to support those in their mental health journey is within the workplace. Specifically, to establish a culture built on inclusion.
Inclusion, Ingroups and Outgroups
I respect there are many ways the definition of inclusion can take shape. I tend to lean toward Dr. Lisa Nishii’s definition from the eCornell Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Certification course:
Inclusion isn’t an initiative that targets members of a particular group. It’s foundational for everyone, in all interactions, and involves two distinct set of experiences:
- The person (employee) feels as though they are a valued member of the “ingroup,” and
- The person (employee) feels as though their uniqueness is valued and integrated.
Ingroups form when a person identifies with others who think in a similar way they do, as opposed to distancing themselves from those who do not (outgroup). Most important however, is that when a person identifies with the ingroup, and their uniqueness is integrated, they feel as though they belong. Belonging is crucial for mental health.
Ingroups and outgroups form quickly within a workplace. Many would call this human nature, and some might even say that having different groups in a workplace are a positive given it opens up opportunities for diverse perspectives that can result in positive business outcomes. I agree with the latter part of this statement, but sadly, many ingroups and outgroups take the shape of high school cliques, or college fraternities and sororities, which can have negative implications on a person’s mental health.
In the workplace, ingroup and outgroup experiences can look and/or feel like the following:
- Being excluded from professional comradery.
- In meetings, the voices of certain individuals always carry a heavier “weight” or make a bigger impact.
- A greater number of promotions, or opportunities, occur among those who “think alike.”
Outside of in/outgroup behavior, a lack of workplace inclusion may also look and/or feel like the following:
- Fear of standing up for oneself.
- Acts of belittlement.
- Unresolved workplace conflicts.
What often transpires in a workplace with little to no inclusion is that an employee may feel as though in order to be seen, heard or receive a promotion, they must act in a way that does not resemble who they are as a person. This can lead to isolation, stress and anxiety. As stated by Kimberly Arnold, Founder, Somatic Leadership, “when someone doesn’t feel included, either because they are ignored or rejected, it can have a subtle or devastating impact on their mental health.”
How to Address Inclusion at Work
There are many ways to approach inclusion in the workplace, however, the most important is that inclusion is not a “check the box” effort. Inclusion is ongoing work that is never officially “solved for” given the constant change of employees coming and going.
Also important is that if you’re an employee reading this article and thinking to yourself “we’re good, we’re inclusive,” I promise you, there is an opportunity. Not convinced? Ask yourself if your status (e.g., leadership) is impairing your viewpoint and/or if it’s not visible simply because you’re a part of the ingroup.
Given every organization has an opportunity, it’s important to call out that inclusion requires Leadership to guide the ship. Yes, all employees regardless of title will be responsible for abiding by what’s expected, but this work cannot move forward successfully without Leadership commitment and visible action. Therefore, to move forward:
- Operate under the assumption that your workplace has an opportunity to evaluate and fine tune inclusion.
- Assess the workplace through employee feedback and observations. Notice who talks first in meetings, if people are talked over, who doesn’t speak up, etc.
- Decide, establish and then articulate what is expected to promote inclusion. All employees should feel safe to express their true voice in a meeting, earn a promotion and/or be mentored or sponsored.
- Serve as a role model and reinforce what is expected by all.
- Re-evaluate regularly.
The So What
Mental health is messy; it’s challenging. There’s a lot of intersectionality in what’s at the root cause. Yes, genetics plays a role, but a person’s environment plays the bigger role. Therefore, remember this: as a workplace, your job is to ensure you aren’t exacerbating a person’s mental illness.
Let’s change for the better, together.
I am an accomplished population health expert, educator and speaker with 25 years of experience; 17 of which have been dedicated to Employee Benefits Consulting. I have helped hundreds of organizations nationwide solve for the transformation of workplace culture (e.g. engagement, inclusion, relationship development, recruitment, retention and productivity) through the lens of health, equity, well-being, diversity, inclusion, safety and several other cross-collaboration opportunities.
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Article Sources
National Alliance on Mental Illness
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