How to Break Down Mental Illness Stigma and Build Supportive Work Environments
Mental Illness has only recently become an “acceptable” topic in mainstream society. More people are being diagnosed, and seeking help, than ever before. Celebrities and influencers are speaking out on their own struggles, and recent social media movements such as “#myfavoritemeds” are pushing our society to get rid of the mental health stigma. Sadly, this movement has not made the transition into most workplaces. During these uncertain times of COVID-19, self-isolation, and the fear of the unknown for business and job security, many people are feeling the weight of mental illness. Anxiety, depression, and just everyday stress can be amplified during these times. As an organizational leader, it’s important to show your employees that you value their mental health. After all, mental health can directly impact the level and quality of work your employees are able to do. When we approach our organizations with compassion and understanding, we see an increase in productivity, employee retention, and overall morale. Here are a few tips to show your employees that you care, and want to help.
Have open conversations.
Allowing people to talk freely about mental health or daily stress is an excellent way for people to release negativity and feel seen. Oftentimes, people aren’t looking for advice on how to help their mental state; they are usually taking those steps themselves. Instead, they just want to be transparent and feel as though their illness or struggle is being seen and understood, without having it be held over their head. Allowing people to talk to management, each other, or general leadership about mental health creates a sense of camaraderie and eliminates the fear that there will be negative consequences for an unseen struggle.
Share statements that reflect the concern and support for mental health.
As leaders, it is important to publicly state that you take mental health seriously. A big part of the mental health stigma is that it’s not justified or real, mainly because the effects are generally invisible. Making an organization-wide statement that you care about your employees’ mental health, and do not condemn, but rather support, the use of mental health care (therapy appointments, medication use, etc.) goes a long way. In all honesty, it is a radical and extremely effective step to take in increasing employee satisfaction, and in return increasing the organization’s value. After all, happy employees are more engaged and productive.
In this era of COVID-19, it is important for people to feel like they are still in the loop and belong. Remote working policies can be isolating, which can trigger depressive episodes or just cause general stress. Simply reinforcing “you are not alone” in these statements provides reassurance and comfort.
Allow for mental health days
Including Mental Health Days in your paid time off policy provides space and inclusion for employees who become overwhelmed by circumstances and their condition. Remember, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires reasonable accommodations for people with mental and physical disabilities. Anxiety and depression are incurable and count as disabilities. This isn’t just a generous and inclusive policy, it’s a reasonable accommodation for anyone with a reported mental health concern. Employees need time to recharge. Allowing for Mental Health Days, or changing sick leave policies to not need a doctor’s note, gives your employees that crucial time to regroup and come back to work refreshed. And like many policies created for one group, this policy benefits everyone. Most employees will only use this time off when it is needed. Productivity drops up to 80% when people are stressed, anxious, or distracted.
Take “I’m anxious” or other mental health terminology seriously.
We’re finding ourselves in a time that is very anxiety inducing. Even before the pandemic, phrases such as “I’m anxious” or “I’m depressed” were used frequently without regard to their genuine implication. A way to regain the legitimacy of such claims is to believe people when they say they are experiencing a symptom of a mental illness or struggling. By validating the experience, you are showing how serious these terms are, and will quickly weed out people who may just be stressed vs. people who are experiencing severe anxiety. Along the same lines, you are showing people who are actually experiencing these symptoms that they are serious, and you care about their mental health by offering to listen, provide a day off, or be understanding of their need to miss an hour from work to go to therapy or a psychiatrist. Normalizing these terms helps break down the stigma, while creating an inclusive environment.
Hold trainings or send out emails depicting the seriousness and pervasiveness of mental illness.
Being armed with information is the best way to defeat a stigma. Taboo topics, like mental illness, become “normal” when we can put statistics behind the experiences. Understanding that depression can keep you from getting out of bed in the morning, or that Bipolar Disorder can cause emotional regulation to be challenging, arms you with compassion and understanding. Along those same lines, you can also research just how high functioning people with mental illness are, and that having a mental illness does not mean a person should be disregarded when looking for new hires. There are Countless training and learning resources available to help your teams understand mental illness and cultivate a more inclusive environment for all.
