Let’s Make Mental Health a Global Priority

On October 10, we observed World Mental Health Day. Each year, this is an important moment to discuss mental health and better understand the symptoms and impacts of mental health challenges such as stress, anxiety, depression and burnout. These issues can often stem from a poor work-life balance, which is why it’s especially important for business leaders and employees to recognize when others are struggling, and to create an environment and culture where people feel comfortable enough to reach out for help.

The goal of World Mental Health Day is to make mental health and well-being for all a global priority. It seems particularly pertinent to focus on the ‘all’ here since we're still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic and the collective fear, uncertainty, isolation and tragedy the world experienced.

Naturally, the pandemic brought a global focus on our physical health, forcing us to be more conscious and careful about looking after our physical health, consequently putting our mental health on the back burner.

According to the World Health Organization, the global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25% during the first year of the pandemic. Compounded with growing social and economic inequalities, geopolitical conflicts and a worsening climate crisis—the past couple years have put people’s mental health through a gauntlet of challenges.

Removing the Stigma

I’m passionate about the subject of mental health because my own personal journey has been filled with many ups and downs, and I know many of you reading this have had similar experiences. Unlike physical ailments, those with mental health issues often suffer in silence. Removing the stigma and bias around mental health is half the battle.

The topic of mental health remains taboo for many, particularly within the workplace. While physical ailments and sickness often manifest in visual symptoms, mental health issues are invisible and require much more attention and compassion, which is why those who suffer tend to feel isolated and unable to speak up or ask for assistance.

To help break the stigma, it’s important to build a workplace with an open and supportive culture. By establishing the kind of space where people know they’re valued and supported, they’ll feel more willing to discuss their concerns and challenges and share their thoughts and experiences in an environment free of judgement.

When it comes to mental health, silence can be deadly, which is why we must eliminate the stigma and discrimination that prevents social inclusion and access to adequate care. This means creating an ecosystem of people who understand mental health and are equipped with the knowledge and compassion to properly help those suffering.

Creating Space for People to Reach Out

After more than a decade working and living in Australia, I’ve seen how easy it is to disregard or diminish mental health concerns, especially in the workplace. Aussies often use the phrase, ‘she’ll be right, mate’ in the same way Americans use ‘it’s all good’. These little idioms are dismissive in nature and can be harmful — offering us an easy way out of difficult conversations instead of addressing how we truly feel.

My own personal journey with mental health has been a lifelong one. I struggled with a mental health crisis about seven years ago and, through that experience, I learned just how difficult it can be to speak up and ask for help. I also discovered what works and what doesn’t when it comes to addressing my mental health issues. That’s why I’ve worked with various mental health groups in the past, such as ReachOut Australia — Australia’s largest mental health peer support service — to share my experience and expertise, offering guidance and support to the next generation.

ReachOut is completely online, meaning young people can connect anonymously and whenever suits them best. They can access one-to-one peer support and moderated online communities, plus tips, stories and resources that allow them to engage and seek help on their own terms.

For over 20 years, ReachOut has been connecting and supporting young people and their parent-, caregiver- and teacher-networks to a range of mental health services that continue to evolve, ensuring help remains accessible, comprehensive and convenient.

The latest Global Burden of Disease study showed that the pandemic particularly affected the mental health of young people, putting them disproportionally at risk of suicidal and self-harming behaviors. ReachOut is dedicated to improving mental health and well-being for young people by providing a safe space for them to learn, share, build resilience and gain support from those who understand what they’re going through.

Collective and Coordinated Support

ReachOut’s recently published Impact Study showed that young people who use the support service experience a significant reduction in symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress and suicide risk while increasing their help-seeking behavior. Since 70% of young people don’t seek help for a mental health issue, ReachOut's online service tackles many of the obstacles to seeking assistance, such as stigma, embarrassment and young people’s preference for self-reliance.

I believe mental healthcare should be more than simply pairing up individuals with mental health professionals. Using a peer-support approach builds connections between people who have had a similar lived experience, creating better understanding for young people, their families, caregivers and wider support network, ensuring they feel less alone.

ReachOut helps users by improving their understanding of their own experiences of mental health and well-being through the experiences of others. Young people tend to respond better to unfiltered and unstructured help as it establishes a less formal setting for sharing insights. ReachOut also provides practical strategies and tools to support young people’s mental health.

Addressing mental health requires a collaborative effort between advocates, mental healthcare experts, governments, employers and other industries. To truly remove the stigma and create genuine peer-support networks, we need to make mental health and well-being an imperative for organizations and individuals. We should be working to understand and address mental health challenges every single day — not just on World Mental Health Day.

Going Beyond Lip Service

As noted in a blog I wrote in 2020, we must approach these issues with empathy and intellectual humility if we’re ever going to eliminate stigmas and misunderstanding. One great example of this is Foodstuffs’ domestic violence initiative, which goes beyond offering paid leave to include practical steps for ensuring staff’s safety, such providing victims with new phone numbers, rental cars and total privacy during these challenging periods. Providing these resources and support creates a company culture of trust, openness and safety. Foodstuffs understands an employer’s role in providing proactive protection and ongoing assistance beyond mere compliance.

Organizations and companies tend to invest heavily in safety and compliance, ensuring people are supported with the necessary policies and training to keep them safe at work. However, while we certainly need fire wardens and floor managers, for example, businesses need more people trained in mental health and well-being to be first responders.

Mental health is easier to ignore than physical ailments since its symptoms are viewed subjectively. Yet, while we have various kinds of compensation and care for various types of injury, many businesses don’t offer the same support for mental well-being. We’ve seen how mental health issues can be just as crippling and devastating, which is why organizations should train their People and Culture leaders to help identify these issues and provide support.

Early Recognition and Response

Studies have shown that 15% of the workforce will experience an acute mental health crisis during their career, so it’s vital that employers take mental well-being more seriously, training their people to help them with proactive measure and responsive initiatives.

Consider the long-term effects of stress and anxiety — employers with the right knowledge and experience can spot and treat these issues early. Having trained mental health first responders on staff and on-site will help create a culture and environment where people understand mental well-being, thereby removing the stigma and creating a more open, collaborative and harmonious workplace.

From lowering absenteeism to creating a more engaged workforce, embedding a culture where mental health is understood and treated with compassion ensures it’s easier to attract and retain top talent. When staff feel they’re valued by their employer and their well-being is prioritized, they’re more likely to stick around, be engaged and connect with other team members.

At SAP SuccessFactors, we speak a lot about the concept of the whole self, which recognizes that every employee is unique and has different needs, capabilities, skills and goals. Mental health and well-being are critical aspects of an employee’s whole self, and they must be properly cared for in order to drive people sustainability.

It’s up to employers to recognize and understand the different signs, symptoms and solutions to help employees who are struggling. Our duty of care cannot end with handing over responsibility to a mental health expert or helpline. Mental healthcare affects us all. Therefore, it is our collective duty to have honest conversations and provide resources and support to those who need it.