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The Workplace Health Insights series brings you the latest healthcare trends, interviews with medical experts and specialist insight from Bupa: all designed to keep you and your organisation one step ahead.
For the latest insights on supporting mental health in the workplace, take a look here.
Rethinking chronic mental ill-health
Long-term mental health conditions, such as bipolar disorder or a psychotic disorder such as schizophrenia receive far less attention than conditions such as anxiety or stress that are normally acute in nature yet these can have a devastating impact on people’s careers and ability to participate fully in the workforce.
Research by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) estimated that just 5–15% of people with schizophrenia are in employment, and people with severe mental illness, including psychosis and schizophrenia, are six to seven times more likely to be unemployed than the general population.
But with the right support and understanding, employees with these conditions can bring enormous benefits to organisations.
Bupa clinical lead for mental health Glenys Jackson says: “If you have a long-term chronic mental health condition, you’re probably between the ages of 30 and 60, so you already have a wealth of knowledge and experience of life.
“And someone who has lived experience of managing a moderate to severe mental health condition has potentially developed constructive coping strategies to manage changes they experience, which develops alternative connections within the brain, in terms of how they think and how they feel.
“These are great transferable skills when you’re looking at change management in businesses.”
Identify triggers and offer support
Signs and symptoms can appear such as sickness absence, or if somebody is not concentrating and not hitting deadlines. Constructive and structured conversations are vital in this regard.
Chronic mental health conditions are complex, and can be impacted by work, so it is also important for employers to understand an individual’s triggers.
Is there a pattern to someone’s resilience becoming low? What are the triggers?
Stress, deadlines, meeting expectations, can all be factors — but these will vary and one person’s stressor can be another’s support.
Being alert to potential triggers, managing them, and making sure employees with chronic mental health conditions can access therapy and other interventions quickly and simply can help to avert acute episodes and minimise absence.
Successful teams are built on a broad range of skills and strengths and someone who has learnt to make significant changes to their own life may be better able to bring that breadth and depth of knowledge into the workplace.
This article has been abbreviated by Health & Protection. The full article on supporting mental health in the workplace can be found as part of the Workplace Health Insights series from Bupa, take a look here.