Mental Health in the Workplace
Employers are interested in the health of their employees. 
The benefit of access to medical services and overall employee fitness and health are key ingredients to a productive workforce.
But what about mental health issues? Do employers recognize and know what to do when an employee suffers from serious stress, burnout, or a mental illness? Depression is recognized as a major reason why employees miss work, causing an estimated 200 million days of work lost each year. Mental illness affects 1 in 5 people but often goes unrecognized and untreated. Many employees suffer silently with their own mental health problems or those of their family members. This affects job performance and productivity. Yet, treatment for illnesses like depression is very successful and can mitigate its impact on the lives and jobs of people who are affected by these disorders.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI NH) is providing employers with the knowledge and tools to identify and address these issues. Through training programs, supervisors can distinguish the extent to which an employee’s work may be affected by a mental health problem, the kind of approach to take, and the resources to provide assistance. A recent training was conducted by NAMI NH with supervisors and managers at Jefferson Pilot Financial in Concord. Michael Stevenson, Assistant Vice President, Compliance, offered these comments from the company firm perspective:
"We were concerned there would be a lack of interest or unwillingness to attend such a training opportunity because of the stigma associated with mental illness. Quite the contrary, this was actually one of our best attended lunch-time training and education sessions. In fact, we had a broad cross-section of managers attend, from new managers who oversee a process to department managers and officers.
The substance of the presentation was certainly appropriate for a workplace presentation. The topic generated significant post-presentation Q&A that truly showed how managers valued education on the impact of mental illness in the workplace.
In addition to the professional speaker and PowerPoint presentation, NAMI provided helpful collateral materials."
Participants at Jefferson Pilot added the following comments about the training:
“Very informative!”
“Thought provoking-will be helpful at some point.”
“Opens awareness of the illness.”
“I have never received training on this subject. I feel more well- rounded and educated as a supervisor. It was refreshing.”
NAMI NH can provide workshops in companies and corporations accompanied by science-based literature that can help supervisors work with employees dealing with mental health issues. Such trainings can promote use of Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) (resources and reduce stress in the workplace.
If you would like more information on corporate training programs around Mental Health in the Workplace, contact:
Win Saltmarsh, Operations Director: (603) 225-5359, ext 10; wsaltmarsh@naminh.org
