Letter from the President: Improving Mental Health at Work

The theme for World Mental Health Day, which was celebrated on October 10, was “My Mental Health at Work.”
 

This year, the World Federation for Mental Health, the founders of World Mental Health Day, is recognizing the importance of prioritizing mental health in the workplace. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), one in five adults, or about 60 million people in the U.S. experience a mental health condition each year. This also impacts their friends, family and coworkers who may not have a mental health condition themselves.

With respect to mental health at work, over 40% of full-time employees in the U.S. say they feel uncomfortable in discussing mental health concerns at work. More importantly perhaps, is that one in three full-time employees say that their mental health has declined because of work in the past year. Workplace burnout is a common problem, with over half of respondents reporting feelings of burnout in the past year because of their job, and 37% reported feeling so overwhelmed it made it hard to do their job.1

The signs and symptoms of burnout, as you are well aware, are myriad and can include2:

• Affecting how you do – or how you feel about – your job
• Negatively impacting your sleep
• Being physically and/or emotionally exhausted
• Changing your eating habits
• Causing headaches or stomachaches

Employers need to care about burnout, not only for the well-being of their employees, but also for its potential to impact their business’ bottom line. In addition to increased health care costs due to physical and psychological illnesses, there is increased absenteeism, presenteeism, job dissatisfaction and job turnover.3 But while this issue of burnout and poor mental health at work is worsening, there are steps that organizations can take to prevent this or at least minimize its impact on employees and these organizations.

These include, conducting surveys to evaluate whether workplace burnout is happening in their organization, managing workloads appropriately, checking on the well-being of workers and encouraging full use of time off. Another important way to mitigate workplace burnout is to allow workers the control and flexibility needed to manage workload and job stress. This is an important step that seemingly contradicts the many recent policies from several prominent companies that are ending hybrid work, and this may make the workplace burnout situation worse.

Many of us as ACPM members and preventive medicine physicians, serve as leaders in large, complex and sometimes challenging organizations. As such, we often have the levers of power to make changes that can prevent or minimize workplace burnout, and we must take this responsibility seriously to care for our fellow workers and the health of the organization. It affords us an opportunity to do well, by doing good. 

So whether you simply lead a wellness at work program, consult with HR on health benefits or are in a senior position in a health care system, academic institution or private or public health setting, make sure you have the requisite training to talk about mental health at work. Also, try to implement broad employer-sponsored mental healthcare coverage and communicate what the employer offers in this regard, as many employees are unaware of what services are available to them.

Improving Mental Health at Work is the responsibility of both employers and employees! We as preventive medicine leaders have the privilege and ability, and at senior levels, the responsibility to ensure that we work to improve mental health at work.

1.    NAMI: Mental Illness Awareness Week https://www.nami.org/get-involved/awareness-events/mental-illness-awareness-week/#:~:text=Since%201990%2C%20Americans%20have%20celebrated,create%20this%20critical%20awareness%20event.

2.    The Pulse, May 2024: 6 Signs You’re Burned Out: How to Cope and Prevent It.
https://www.trs.texas.gov/Pages/healthcare-news-202405-burned.aspx#:~:text=Practice%20self%2Dcare.,people%20that%20make%20you%20happy. 

3.    APA: Employers need to focus on workplace burnout: Here's why. https://www.apa.org/topics/healthy-workplaces/workplace-burnout  12 May 2023

Mirza I. Rahman, MD, MPH, FAAFP, FACPM
President, American College of Preventive Medicine