While our modern lifestyles and technology-infused environments have created comforts and luxuries that were unthinkable a few years back, they have also created new challenges for the working professional – work-induced stress, dwindling human interaction and inadequate social support systems. Consequently, worrying statistics and trends are emerging that have started to attract the attention of governments, corporations and mental health advocates. Based on a 2019 research report conducted by the World Health Organiztion (WHO), here are a few of them:
- One in five people will experience a mental health condition during their lifetime.
- More than 300 million people (5% of the population) suffers from severe depression. About 260 million suffer from anxiety related disorders.
- Depression and anxiety have a significant economic impact; their estimated cost to the global economy is US$1 trillion per year in lost productivity.
- Harassment and bullying at work are commonly reported problems, and can have a substantial adverse impact on mental health.
While sustained unemployment is a key trigger for onset of mental health disorders, it is not limited only to those gripped by joblessness, new workforce entrants or executives at the bottom of the corporate ladder. Kate Valentine, Founder and CEO of American luxury fashion design house Kate Spade committed suicide in 2018 due to mental health issues. Karl Slym who was global CEO of automotovie conglomerate Tata Motors also died of an apparent suicide in 2014 in Bangkok where he had gone to attend a board meeting. Clearly, even the most accomplished professionals are not immune to clutches of depression and mental disorders.
What can be the Reasons for such Eventualities?
While risk factors can extend to every facet of life (home, genetics, the economy, limited human interaction), workplace-induced mental health disorders are a major contributor to this emerging problem. Too often, employee-boss relationships are plagued by poor working rapport and inadequate communication. Unclear expectations of roles and informal performance feedback also increase stress levels of employees over time. Limited participation in decision making and a perceived low control over one’s area of work are vestiges of a bygone era of work culture that is unlikely to be acceptable to the millenial employee today.
How Companies are Addressing the Problem
The good news is that some organizations and countries have recognized the problem and starting to introduce measures that help address it. Canada has emerged as a leader in workplace practices. Many companies there have piloted a program called ‘Not Myself Today’. It is based on acknowledging depressive bouts, anxiety and other mental health issues and structuring work around them. Netflix offers its employees the freedom to work flexible hours beyond the normal 9 to 5 workday. It also allows its employees to set their own holiday and vacation schedules that they prioritize depending on when their minds and bodies need a break. Companies like Ernst & Young provide resources like 24/7 counseling support and reach out to its employees who may be struggling to cope with their issues. More companies are adding mental health treatment coverage to their employees’ health insurance benefit plans to address the financial burden of medication and counseling.
Finally, I believe that individuals can take it upon themselves to build skills like having a positive attitude, developing their communication skills and building key traits like persistence that will help them cope with increasing stress levels in the workplace. Here are some resources that I would recommend from my own experience that have benefited me:
- NLP – The Essential Guide to Neuro-Linguistic Programming
- Getting More – How You can Negotiate to Succeed in Work and Life
- The Practicing Mind – Developing Focus and Discipline in Your Life
This is an evolving topic. I would love to hear your thoughts on the emerging challenge of mental health in the workplace and how it can be effectively tackled.