We Still Need To Talk About Mental Health At Work

There has been fantastic progress in recent years towards normalising mental health conversations at work. However, there is still stigma and fear, and it is vital that we continue to talk about this, especially in leadership positions.

When I speak to people about mental health, the common views I encounter are that:

• talking about mental health is a sign of weakness
• taking time to recover from mental illness is letting people down
• seeking help for a mental health challenge is the beginning of the end of someone’s career.

Talking about mental health is a sign of strength

People fear that if they talk about their mental health challenges, others will see this as a weakness. There is a fear of being judged, viewed as incapable, or as someone who can’t be relied upon.

Talking about mental health challenges is not a weakness; it is a sign of strength and is to be encouraged. We can all have struggles, whether based at work or elsewhere, and can often worsen if we don’t address them.