World Mental Health Day is an annual global awareness campaign led by the World Health Organization.

It is a timely reminder for employers that mental health should remain high on their agendas and provides an excellent opportunity for them to engage with staff and promote their health and wellbeing strategies.

In this article, we consider why this year’s World Mental Health Day is more important than ever and suggest ways in which employers can focus their efforts on their employees’ mental health – not just on one day, but every day.

What is World Mental Health Day – and why is it so important?

World Mental Health Day [WMHD] is an event that aims to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilise efforts in support of mental health. It is recognised on 10 October every year and 2022’s theme is “Make mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority.”

Mental health problems are increasingly becoming a growing public health concern. According to the World Economic Forum, one in eight people around the globe live with mental health conditions, and the COVID-19 pandemic caused a 25% increase in the prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide.

Closer to home, the mental health charity ‘Mind’ reports that 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England, and 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem (like anxiety and depression) in any given week in England.

The current climate

It would be an understatement to say that we are living in exceptional times. Globally, we are still feeling the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and it is almost impossible to ignore the news reports of devastating conflicts around the world, such as the war in Ukraine.

In the UK, we are experiencing instability on an unprecedented scale, with the growing cost-of-living crisis and sharp rise in energy bills forcing many people into financial difficulty. As the winter months approach, some of us may be seriously considering whether we can afford to keep our homes heated and how much money will be available to feed ourselves and our families. Worrying about money can be incredibly stressful, and financial distress can have an impact on our mental health and daily life.

From a business perspective, mental ill health issues can have a significant impact on an employee’s overall wellbeing, affecting their ability to cope with managing the normal stresses of daily life and preventing them from working happily and productively. This could lead to short and long-term sickness absence (evidence suggests that 12.7% of sickness absence days in the UK can be attributed to mental health conditions) and overall disruption to business.

There has never been a better time to prioritise mental wellbeing in your organisation.

What to do on WMHD

WMHD gives employers a chance to focus on actively promoting positive wellbeing, to talk about mental health in general and mobilise all their efforts on one day.

Some suggested actions could be:

• Encourage any internal staff working on mental health issues, such as Mental Health First Aiders and Mental Health Champions, to talk about their work and to highlight the support they offer, via a wellbeing workshop
• Invite staff (if they wish), including senior leaders, to share their own experiences with mental health to inspire and help others – in ‘lunch and learn’ sessions or with short videos shared via internal communications channels
• Promote and highlight any internal resources available that focus on good mental health and wellbeing, to remind employees that there is help available if they need it. This could be your wellbeing policy, your employee handbook, your employee assistance programme or an outline of the benefits you offer which could assist with good physical health (like subsidised gym memberships), mental health apps (including mindfulness apps such as Headspace) and financial wellbeing (such as discounted benefits or a cash plan).
• Signpost people to external organisations and mental health and wellbeing charities, and any organisations that could provide advice and support on money management and debt.
• Consider an internal survey which asks questions about mental health, stress and wellbeing, to act as a risk assessment or audit so that you can identify any key areas that you may need to focus your attention on.

At CBW, we have created a Mental Health and Wellbeing Booklet which covers a range of important topics and offers advice and practical tips for employees, which you may find useful.

What next?

World Mental Health Day provides employers with an excellent opportunity to promote good mental health, raise awareness and outline their commitment to supporting wellbeing at work.

However, this commitment should be an ongoing one; we believe that health and wellbeing should be embedded into your people management practices rather than viewed as supplementary. It should be at the heart of your business operations and aligned with your strategy and goals.

We recommend that you review any existing initiatives and strategies you have in place to ensure that your workplace is mentally healthy, on the 10 October, but also in the days and weeks after. This will ensure you are looking after your number one: your people.

If you have any concerns about your existing approach or policies, have a question about mental health and wellbeing or would like some help with creating a wellbeing policy or guidance booklet, please contact our HR Consultancy team who will be happy to assist.

Written by Nicola Greenbrook, CBW HR Consultant.