Is World Mental Health Day promoting wellness as expected?

When did anyone come to realise that mental health is a crucial factor in how employees live, but also how they approach their work? 

First came the disclosure of mental health problems of varying degrees and now comes the actionable phase, which is reaching the corporate stage. Generally speaking organisations should now be aware that their companies face unique challenges and the people that work for them may need support from their employers to overcome hurdles in their careers or consideration for what’s going on in their personal lives. 

According to the global market research firm Ipsos, around 58% of people are aware of their mental health as a key factor in their overall being, whether that be their approach to relationships or how they perform at work. Historically, healthcare systems have not been prepared for mental health conditions and often apply chemical treatments to the problems. Of the 78% of people across the globe that believe their mental and physical health are linked, only 34% say their healthcare systems are capable of treating them equally. 

World Mental Health Day recognises demand for inclusive support 

This year’s theme for World Mental Health Day is to address that ’mental health is a universal human right’. Each year, on this day, the world is reminded that all developments happening today are to generate a better future, but also encourage inclusivity of mental health as a day-to-day problem. 

At this point, we begin to question what impacts are still to be had as mental health grows in importance. 

The key finding from Ipsos suggest that: 

• In 31 nations, 78% of people consider mental health to be equally crucial as part of physical health
• Only 34% of people across the globe believe their healthcare systems treat mental and physical health equally 
• 71% are more likely to think about their physical, but 58% also consider mental health
• Latin American people are generally susceptible to thoughts about their mental health
• 34% of people say that stress impacted their life on a number of occasions in the past year and 27% felt depressed multiple times because of stress

How can companies support mental health in their workforce? 

We’ve seen across many areas of sustainability—climate change, environmental practices, social engagements, and workforce wellbeing—that governments and public services are under pressure, leaving corporations a large degree of responsibility to tackle these issues. Mental health is of the utmost priority for human resources (HR) managers and  their C-level executives to secure the future of their workforces and gain the best work out of them. The impact of stress, albeit from work-related or home-grown issues, is a cause for concern for businesses. It can impact their employees’ commitment to work and hinder new ideas and promotion of more collaborative working within the business. 

According to a previous report by Deloitte, in 2022, many people were still hesitant to seek any form of support for their mental health. At present, very few rely on professional help to address their own concerns of stress and anxiety in their lives, which leaves a huge gap for influencing their wellbeing, and their employees can fill it.

Some of the key areas for companies to address can be seen in their sentiments towards mental health and therefore the reasons why they are yet to speak out. 

• 24.8% are afraid of the impact on their image 
• 21.7% do not feel the need to take action 
• 19.6% have little access to resources 
• 18.1% lack awareness about mental health resources 

*************************************************

For more insights into Sustainability - check out the latest edition of Sustainability Magazine and be sure to follow us on LinkedIn & Twitter

Other magazines that may be of interest - EV Magazine | Energy Digital

*********************************************

BizClik is a global provider of B2B digital media platforms that cover 'Executive Communities' for CEO's, CFO's, CMO's, Sustainability Leaders, Procurement & Supply Chain Leaders, Technology & AI Leaders, Cyber Leaders, FinTech & InsurTech Leaders as well as covering industries such as Manufacturing, Mining, Energy, EV, Construction, Healthcare + Food & Drink.

BizClik, based in London, Dubai & New York offers services such as Content Creation, Advertising & Sponsorship Solutions, Webinars & Events.