Hearts and minds

As a nation, we have never been more aware of the importance of mental health. Yet, despite an increasing understanding of the interconnectedness between mental and physical well-being, it is also fair to say that discussing issues around day-to-day mental well-being remains an uphill struggle.

With individuals – such as frontline NHS workers, students, the elderly and socially disadvantaged – under arguably greater pressure than ever before, the onus is very much on business leaders to drive improvements within their own organisations, on a micro level.

There is a raft of strategies that leaders can embrace. These include initiatives to help individuals better understand and manage their own mental well-being, forums for teams to come together and discuss issues and broader social activities.

They also include digital platforms that can track health in a more holistic way, provide access to self-learning coping techniques and – critically – provide us with data that will help inform future mental healthcare innovation.

Changing mindsets

In the last seventy years, mental health has been transformed. From the closure of old asylums, to moving care into the community; new methodologies for studying mental health outside of a hospital setting, and the use of talking therapies, the impact on patients and mental health care has been hugely positive.

Arguably, the biggest positive change has been a shift in societal attitude. People and businesses are becoming more accepting of mental health issues and more aware of the need to support individuals with their mental well-being as well as their physical well-being.

Yet, despite the huge increase in support for mental health through the likes of high profile initiatives and charities such as Heads Together, Anna Freud Centre and Every Mind Matters, when it comes to discussing and helping people cope with everyday stresses, whether they are workplace- or homelife-related, it can be difficult for individuals to know where to look.

Moreover, given the number of well-documented, external pressures both people and businesses are under today, it is more important than ever that individuals feel well-supported in the workplace, for their own well-being and for productivity and engagement levels.

Nowhere more so is this the case than for healthcare organisations and those individuals delivering frontline care to people who are amongst the most vulnerable in our population. Individuals who are well-documented to have professions that rank amongst the most stressful in the UK.

So how can business leaders drive improvements in mental well-being support within their own organisations and amongst their own staff?

Openness and kindness

One of the easiest ways to foster mental well-being in a workforce is through establishing a sense of community and inclusiveness.

Mental ill health can be aggravated through feelings of isolation. According to researchers from King’s College London, people with mental health conditions are disproportionately affected by loneliness, with one in five patients diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder or reporting feelings of loneliness.

According to the Campaign to end loneliness, the group most likely to report feeling lonely are over the age of 65 with around 10% saying they feel lonely ‘all or most of the time’. In particular, people who had been widowed or had long-term illness or disability reported feeling lonely. Young people are also at risk. A recent survey by the Carers Trust found that 33% of young carers felt ‘usually’ or ‘always’ lonely.

Feelings of loneliness can be readily alleviated through social inclusivity, which has a key role in the workplace. Establish forums or workshops – be they in person or through communication platforms – where people can be encouraged to share their thoughts and feelings about work pressures, and take solace in each other. Encourage staff to undertake little acts of kindness and take regular walks together, taking a pause from the screen or work environment.

Host social get-togethers – coffee mornings, for example that can, to add even greater cause, be fundraising exercises for a charity of the team’s choice – or off-site team building. You may even want to consider getting in external advisors to offer pensions advice or tips on ‘how to eat well for less’. With a little imagination, the list is endless.

Individual understanding

Perhaps more challenging, but of equal importance, is to help individuals to understand their own mental well-being and patterns that might be associated with feelings of either negativity or positivity, as well as how their physical and mental health are connected.

This might be something associated with their role, for example: have they got all the tools and training they need to feel comfortable in every aspect of their job? Is there an aspect of their role that might be causing anxiety? Are they happy with their interpersonal relationships at work?

Equally, there might be a correlation between work and home-life that is causing imbalance. Is shift work causing poor diet and/or sleeping patterns that are affecting an individual’s overall well-being? Or indeed, are pressures at home spilling over into the working environment?

A basic understanding of what might be triggering mental unrest is the first step on the road to taking action to rectify it. But how?

Digital tools

This is where the latest generation of digital platforms and apps can help. Very few people have the time or inclination these days to keep a diary of their emotions on a day-by-day basis. With a mobile or wearable app, logging behaviours and trigger points can be crystallised in the moment, with little more than a touch of a button.

Moreover, these digital tools have the benefit of algorithms that make it far easier to spot physical trends and correlate data to identify the root cause of a potential mental well-being issue.

In addition, the most advanced of these digital platforms will also come with access to tutorials or self-help videos on a vast range of issues, from how to stop smoking to even basic Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT).

Future of innovation

That said, one of the biggest technological challenges we face in mental health at the moment is lack of data. Despite the increase in focus on it, mental health is still not blessed with large research budgets. If we can advance studies by looking at ever-bigger comparative data sets, however, then we can jump forwards in our understanding of mental health.

Through the use of these digital platforms, we will gain access to data sets that bring mental health into sharp focus. This would have the potential to revolutionise how we view and treat mental health – indeed, holistic health – in the future.

Mental health and well-being is a huge challenge to address and it may feel like a challenge we each face in isolation. That could not be further from the truth, however.

Taking steps towards a culture of openness in the workplace – aiding individuals in managing their own mental well-being, appreciating how mental and physical well-being correlate and embracing digital tools – can ensure that businesses can advance wider understanding. Now that is worth making it a priority.