There has never been a time when mental health has been so high on the political agenda and so heavily featured in the media.
Recently, Richard Harvey, WBG member and trustee of Maidstone & Mid Kent Mind, outlined how mental health issues can impact the workplace.
He said the scale of the problem was escalating rapidly….
- 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem, and 1 in 6 will have their employment adversely affected.
- Each week, 1,200 people will try to commit suicide, 10 percent will succeed, and more than 1.1 million antidepressant prescriptions are issued.
He added that….
- In 2017, 45% of all working days lost were due to stress, anxiety and depression – an astonishing 11.7 million days.
- 1 in 5 people have called in sick to avoid work through stress, and…
- More than half of employers say they would like to improve staff wellbeing, but lack the right training or guidance.
Richard explained the difference between the driven, competitive Type A and more relaxed and easygoing Type B personalities. Unsurprisingly, and in common with many business owner-managers, most WBG members said they were Type A – therefore more prone to stress, and needing to work much harder at learning coping strategies.
He added the demand for mental health services was growing rapidly, but that help was at hand – there were several organisations which offered advice and counselling, and that there were solutions to the most common problems of depression and anxiety.
- If you would like advice or help on workplace or personal mental health problems, contact Maidstone & Mid Kent Mind, 23 College Road, Maidstone, Kent ME15 6YH, tel: 01622 692383, email: mindhelp@mmkmind.org.uk, web: www.maidstonemind.org
