Mental health conditions such as excessive stress, anxiety, and depression have increased exponentially in the past decade. This has been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which pushed people indoors, led to job losses, and fuelled concerns regarding one’s health. It has spurred dramatic shifts in people’s lives and fundamentally changed how we connect with each other.
After such an overwhelming period, it’s essential for organizations to take note of employee mental health, given that they spend a substantial part of their day at work. Many counselors and mental health advocates at healthcare events in the USA have stressed on the importance of empathy in the workplace, which enhances company culture and communication and radically improves employee satisfaction levels. At the same time, they have also talked about the need for employee mental health programs to help employees cope.
All major organizations already have corporate wellness programs that revolve around improving overall health and reducing the risk of life-threatening diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular issues. This may include incentives such as free access to the gym, perks to stop smoking and even reducing healthcare premiums.
Although the state of one’s mental health cannot be measured or calculated like the levels of glucose or cholesterol in one’s body, it requires equal consideration, if not more, given the severe repercussions of poor mental and emotional health on the individual as well as community level.
Mental health programs can include extensive health insurance policies that also cover counseling and therapy for a wide range of personal and professional issues. The advantages of such programs are several:
Mental health conditions don’t exist in isolation. They also manifest themselves physically, in the form of severe headaches, joint pain, or extreme sensitivity to temperature changes, to name a few.
Take depression, for instance. It is known to have a serious impact on the individual’s overall quality of life. Not only does it impede one’s ability to take care of oneself, but it can be debilitating to the extent that it makes one isolate oneself completely.
In addition to this, healthcare experts at top health events have also talked about how mental health conditions such as depression raise susceptibility to health problems such as osteoporosis, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Given the risks involved, it makes sense for concerned organizations to have a comprehensive employee mental health program for their employees.
Employee burnout can harm your organization’s growth plans to a great degree. Often resulting in employee turnover and absenteeism, it can cost your company dearly, causing a dent in your profit margins and also bringing down employee morale.
While organizations can offer a plethora of mindfulness programs to equip employees with the tools they need to cope with excessive stress, it is also important to take active steps to create a healthier company culture. In the long run, the company will see a marked improvement in retention, higher employee satisfaction, and reduced absenteeism.
Given that poor mental health affects one’s ability to focus, it can bring down productivity levels. As talked about at various healthcare events in the USA, poor mental health in the workplace goes beyond not meeting client deadlines and also affects peer communication and team equations.
However, when mental health programs are easily accessible, your employees are more likely to pick up healthy coping mechanisms when faced with stressful situations. They are able to keep their calm and communicate better with their peers. This creates an atmosphere conducive to enhanced productivity in the workplace.
These are just a few benefits of bringing mental health wellness programs into the organization. Your employees are your most valuable assets, which is why their health and well-being should be on the top of your agenda. To know more about how you can create a mental health-friendly workplace, connect with top counselors, healthcare providers, and therapists at 2022’s premier health event, the Health 2.0 Conference.
A valuable member of the Health 2.0 Conference team, Shivani Verma is enthusiastic about keeping herself updated on the latest developments in healthcare and wellness. She walks the extra mile to acquire information around MedTech wearables, fraud identification, AI in healthcare, and how to spot fake and spam health insurance schemes. She swears by yoga and is an avid movie buff.
