A Guide to Mental Health in the Workplace from Mind

A new guide has been published by the leading mental health charity Mind.org.uk aimed at employers to try to clear up the stigma and myths surrounding mental health in today’s workplace.

The guide is designed to help employers better understand the nature of mental health problems and provides guidance on how to encourage a mentally healthy working environment.

Backing the guide is Friends Provident who have an ongoing commitment to help companies reduce absence in the workplace.

Of the group income protection claims paid out by Friends Provident in 2009, 29% were accounted for by mental health related problems. With the introduction of their employee assistance programme they are urging organisations to consider how best to address this long-term cause of absence.

In addition to the recent guide, a report from the CIPD shows one in five employers reported an increase in mental health issues over the past 12 months, this includes the likes of anxiety and depression indicating the growing frequency of these conditions in light of the unstable economic environment.

Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind adds, “Mental health problems in the workplace are very common, yet despite the fact that 1 in 6 people of working age will have some kind of mental health issue, few employers have a mental health policy or know how to support staff to stay in work successfully when they’re going through a rough patch.”