Mental Health in

the Workplace
Arlene A. Pagar, MAEd, RPm
 Topics

1 Mental Health

2 Psychosocial Risk Factors in the Workplace

Strategies & Best Practices to Manage
3 Mental Health

4 Self-assessment and Management

 1
What is Mental
Health?
 Mental health
● is a state of well-being, in which every individual realizes his/her own
potentials; can cope with the normal stresses in life; can work
productively and fruitfully; and is able to make a contribution to his/her
community
● Examples of mental health problems and
disorders include:
- Depression - Eating disorders
- Anxiety - Bipolar disorders
- Burnout - Schizophrenia and
- Sleep disorders other psychotic
- Substance abuse disorders
 Mental health
BUT
● Mental health is more than the absence of
mental health disorders.
● It is an integral part of health; there is no health
without mental health.
● Mental health is determined by a range of
socio-economic, biological and environmental
factors.
Why Mental Health
Matters?
What do statistics tell us today?
Poor mental health one of the biggest issues in the
workplace today, causing over 70 million worth of
working days to be lost each year.
from the most commonly experienced symptoms of
stress and anxiety

to a more complex mental health conditions like

depression, bipolar disorders, and obsessive-
compulsive disorder
 In the Philippines: (DOH)
3.6M Filipinos
are suffering from mental
1,145,871 disorders 213,422
DEPRESSION SCHIZOPRENIA
520,614
874,145 BIPOLAR &
DRUG-USE
ALCOHOL – USE

349,058
EPILEPSY
Depression is the leading cause
of disability worldwide.
It is a major contributor to the
overall burden of disease on
people.

People who are

depressed are
more prone to
illness.
 Implications of Poor Mental
Health in Workplace
Some consequences of poor mental health include:
 Absenteeism
 Reduced performance or productivity
 Work errors
 Increased risk of workplace injury or accidents
 Grievances and complaints
 High turnover rates
 Disability claims
 Effects of GOOD Workplace
Mental Health

INCREASE • Productivity
• Employee engagement

• Turnover rates
DECREASE • Absenteeism
• Injuries
• Grievances/complaints
 Important Challenge:
STIGMA
• Many people fear judgment due
to stigma.

• Stigma is among the primary

reasons for which over 60% of
people struggling with a mental
health problems will not get help.
MENTAL HEALTH IN WORKPLACE

 It is important for employees to consider the

mental health implications of their work to
ensure effective risk management.

 To achieve good mental health, employees

must learn to monitor their own mental health;
in addition to recognizing when other’s mental
health may be suffering.
 2
Psychosocial
Risk Factors
Source:
Canadian Center for Occupational Health &
Safety
 Psychosocial Risk Factors
 Researchers at Simon Fraser University have
identified 13 Psychosocial Risk Factors, which
impact organizational health and safety.
 Six (6) Risk Factors
1. Organizational Culture
2. Leadership & Expectations
3. Psychological Demands
4. Involvement & Influence
5. Workload Management
6. Balance
1. Organizational Culture

WHAT IS IT?
 1. Organizational Culture

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
● An organization that has a health-focused culture enhances
employee well-being, job satisfaction and organizational
commitment, which helps to retain and attract employees.
● A work culture with social support also enhances employee
well- being by providing a positive environment for
employees who may be experiencing psychological
conditions such as depression and anxiety.
 1. Organizational Culture

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT IS LACKING?

● Culture "sets the tone" for an organization - a negative
culture can undermine the effectiveness of the best
programs, policies and services intended to support the
workforce.
● An unhealthy culture creates more stress, which lowers
employee well-being. A culture of "profit at all costs" and
constant chaotic urgency can create an environment in
which burnout is the norm.
2. Clear Leadership & Expectations

WHAT IS IT?
 2. Clear Leadership & Expectations

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
● Effective leadership increases employee morale,
resiliency and trust, and decreases employee
frustration and conflict.
● Good leadership results in employees with higher
job well-being, reduced sick leave, and reduced
early retirements with disability pensions.
 2. Clear Leadership & Expectations

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT IS LACKING?

● Leaders who are more "instrumental" in their
approach (focusing on producing outcomes, with
little attention paid to the "big picture," the
psychosocial dynamics within the organization,
and the individual employees) are more likely to
hear staff health complaints including general
feelings of malaise, irritability and nervousness.
3. Psychological Demands

WHAT IS IT?
 3. Psychological Demands

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

A good job fit is associated with:

● fewer health complaints
● lower levels of depression
● greater self-esteem
● a more positive self-concept
● enhanced performance
● job satisfaction
● employee retention
 3. Psychological Demands

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT IS LACKING?

● When there is a poor job fit, employees can

experience job strain, which can be expressed as
emotional distress and provocation, excessive
dwelling on thoughts, defensiveness, energy
depletion and lower mood levels.
4. Involvement and Influence

WHAT IS IT?
 4. Involvement and Influence

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

● When employees feel they have meaningful input

into their work they are more likely to be engaged,
to have higher morale, and to take pride in their
organization.
● Job involvement is associated with increased
psychological well-being, enhanced innovation, and
organizational commitment.
 4. Involvement and Influence

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT IS LACKING?

● If employees do not believe they have a voice in the

affairs of the organization, they tend to feel a sense
of indifference or helplessness.
● Job alienation or non- involvement is associated
with cynicism and distress, greater turnover, and
burnout.
5. Workload Management

WHAT IS IT?
 5. Workload Management

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

● Workload management is important because there

is a unique relationship between job demands,
intellectual demands and job satisfaction.
● Even when there are high demands, if employees
also have high decision-making ability, they will be
able to thrive.
 5. Workload Management

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT IS LACKING?

● Increased demands, without opportunities for control,
result in physical, psychological and emotional fatigue,
and increase stress and strain.
● Emotionally fatigued individuals also have a diminished
sense of personal accomplishment and an increased
sense of inadequacy.
● Excessive workload is one of the main reasons
employees are negative about their jobs and their
employers.
6. Balance

WHAT IS IT?
 6. Balance

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Recognizing the need for work-life balance:
● makes employees feel valued and happier both at work
and at home
● reduces stress and the possibility that home issues will
spill over into work, or vice versa
● allows staff to maintain their concentration, confidence,
responsibility, and sense of control at work
 6. Balance

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT IS LACKING?

● When work-family role conflict occurs (that is, roles
within the workplace and outside it are overwhelming to
a person or interfering with one another), health and
well-being are undermined by accumulating home and
job stress.
● This imbalance can lead to high job stress resulting in
dissatisfaction with work and being absent either
physically or mentally.
 3
Managing Mental
Health in the
Workplace
What can we do as
an institution?
 An effective mental health and
wellbeing strategy considers:

PREVENTION INTERVENTION PROTECTION

Safeguarding Stepping in before Supporting staff if
the mental problems become they need time off,
health of your more serious or need help
workforce returning to the
workplace
 Prevention
It’s important to safeguard the mental
health of your workforce by creating an
open and caring culture that makes
employee feel supported and looked
after.
 Culture
 Develop a Mental Health Policy –
having a concrete policy
reassures employees that their
institution cares about their
wellbeing.
 Create a culture of openness and
awareness by encouraging
people to talk about mental
health.
 Working Practices
 Encourage employee to take regular breaks away
from their desks and get out of the office to reduce
stress.
 Introduce a power-down hour, where everyone steps
away from their email.
 Review job descriptions to make sure these set out
clear and realistic expectations of employee. If not,
this might be contributing to, or even causing, mental
distress amongst employees.
 Communication
 Use newsletters, posters in communal areas, and
other internal communications to raise awareness
of mental health.
 Introduce discussion about mental health at
meetings – use them as opportunities to check in
with employee about how they are feeling or how
they would rate their stress levels and why.
 Managers
 Train up management – if
employees know their boss is clued
up in mental health matters, they
may feel more comfortable in
coming forward to discuss any
problems they may have at work, or
even at home.
 Make sure line managers spend time
with employee and get to know them
– this makes it easier to spot when
they’re struggling or behaving
uncharacteristically at work.
INTERVENTION
When problems do occur, taking simple
steps to improve mental health can
prevent them from developing into
something more serious.
 Internal Support
 Provide accessible guidance on how to manage stress.
 Provide guidance and support to help employees to
become more resilient and more able to positively
adapt to change in the workplace.
 Consider holding regular informal ‘drop-in’ sessions
with someone from HR, or even a third party, to
encourage people to talk through any issues they may
be experiencing.
 Working Practices

 Allow flexible working and

accommodations for all
employees during a period of
stress or worry.
 Give them the option to work
from home if they need to be in
more relaxed surroundings.
PROTECTION
In the most serious cases, an
employee may need professional
support or an extended period of
time off work.

 Seeking outside help

 Having a “return to work plan”
 4
Self-Assessment
& Management
Your stress signals
 Stress Signals

Learning how our It would be better if

bodies respond to you will be able to
stress can help us identify your
notice when stress is warning signs of
entering stress.
our daily lives.
 Activity: Self-assessment

Look at the following stress signals, and identify all

the signals that you experienced or experiencing at
the moment.
 Mindfulness
to Manage Stress
Stress Reduction Techniques
Stress Reduction Technique 1:
Compassion Meditation
Self-compassion is the ability to be
forgiving of yourself. Low self-
compassion can increase stress levels
while lowering self-esteem.
You can improve self compassion by
working on unhelpful thoughts and by
practicing Compassion Meditation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnL-hjXo4EQ
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZdw6wm3A3E

Stress Reduction Technique 2:

Body Scan Meditation
Many people physically tighten up in
response to pain or otherwise resist it. If you
are experiencing pain or discomfort, use the
Body Scan Meditation to become more
aware of any resistance you may be having
to your pain that can actually make your
discomfort worse.
“Don’t let anyone make you
feel unworthy.
No one knows your journey
but you.”
—Evan Rachel Wood
In the same way:

“Don’t make anyone

feel unworthy.
You do not know
his/her journey.
Thank You!
Arlene A. Pagar, MAEd, RPm

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