Reasons for mental health issues and why's it so important?

Mental Health is the leading cause of sickness absence. Issues ranging from anxiety to bipolar disorder, and in particular stress-related illness has seen a 42% increase since 2013. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) 2018/2019 insights - stress, depression or anxiety accounted for nearly 50% of all work-related ill health cases and working days lost due to ill health. 

Studies show how poor mental health is one of the major problems in the workplace today. Catering for this in your wellbeing strategy is crucial. When it comes to creating a wellbeing strategy, senior leaders often put emphasis on physical health and safety – not addressing
Mental Health with anywhere near the same conviction.

Employees often place high concern with their mental/emotional health and happiness. They usually value their psychosocial needs much more, and so a comprehensive wellbeing strategy MUST address this. The team at International Wellbeing Insights are experts at helping organisations manage their mental health strategies.

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The Cause

Poor mental health is highly likely to become worse if it isn’t detected early and access to support isn’t available. 
Various potential issues seen among the workplace include:

• Stress at work
• Poor relations with colleagues
• Employees being averse to telling management about their mental health problem
• Worrying about returning to work after a period of poor mental health

The Impact

As well as having a huge impact on individual employees, poor mental health has severe repercussions for employers. These  include increased staff turnover, rising sickness absence, burnout, decreased motivation and productivity.

To tackle mental ill-health,  equipping people with the skills and confidence to engage with the affected individuals sensitively and empathetically is crucial,  before it becomes a more serious issue.

Why Look At It Now?

Particularly now with such a broad range of things that have impacted the way we live and work, which inevitably will negatively affect our mental health, it’s imperative to put peoples welfare and wellbeing top of the agenda. 

Providing the right support and tools to promote mental health will help create a more engaged, happy and high performing culture.

The Concern

Mental ill-health is a growing public health concern. The likelihood that we all know someone who is affected by mental ill-health is becoming increasingly prevalent, with the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence revealing 1 in 4 adults experience a mental health condition in any given year. 

That’s why it is imperative that the mental health of your employees is a priority. 

The Business Case For Mental Health - Reduced Absenteeism

According to mentalhealth.org.uk 12.7% of all sickness days in the UK can be attributed directly to mental health conditions. it can also contribute to the vast majority of short periods of sickness, as your mental and emotional state diminishes your immune response, leaving you more susceptible to illness. The charity Mind reported that 40% of all GP appointments are due to mental health queries.
Working conditions can have a huge impact on mental health. Equally, someone’s mental health can have a significant impact to how they perform at work.

By having an effective mental health strategy/policy in place, as an organisation you can reduce absenteeism, maximise productivity and performance, and get the most out of your workforce.

Duty of Care

As an organisation, you have a duty of care to ensure that you create a safe and healthy workplace for your employees - mental health and wellbeing is an important part of this. It is crucial to put in place measures to embed a culture where it is okay not to be okay. It is vital that the workforce understand how to spot the signs of mental ill-health in themselves and others and know where to turn to for support.

Who Have We Helped?

Empowering happy and healthy organisations since 2003.

Our Consultancy Services

Wellbeing Insights Audit

Before embarking on an organisational wellbeing journey it’s imperative to have a clear start position. Our Wellbeing Insights Audit is a market leading approach designed to give you absolute clarity on how poor wellbeing is impacting your organisation – both culturally and commercially.

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Pulse Survey

Have you recently undertaken a full audit and want to monitor how your organisation is doing? Or perhaps there are circumstances meaning it is not the right time to undertake a full audit? Our Pulse Survey is designed to provide you with a snapshot of how your employees are coping. It provides valuable insight into your employees’ wellbeing and actions that can be taken to adjust your approach to wellbeing accordingly. It gives your employees a platform to voice their feelings and opinions.

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Mental Wellbeing Ambassadors Workshop

Do your employees know how to recognise the signs and symptoms of mental ill-health in themselves and others? Using our I.D.E.A.L.S framework, participants will be equipped with the skills and confidence for how best to approach and advise others. This workshop is also designed to identify the key factors that contribute to a mentally healthy workplace.

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Focus Groups

Do you want to explore your employee’s thoughts and views in a supportive manner? Focus Groups are designed to create staff inclusion in the decision making and solution finding process as well as providing a valuable engagement opportunity.

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Mental Health First Aid

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an internationally recognised programme. It is valuable in providing information on a range of mental health problems, along with reducing stigma and encouraging early intervention. Mental Health First Aid is now also available as an online offering for the 2 day course.

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Physical Training/Workshops

Since our inception in 2003, we have been empowering organisations to take charge of their wellbeing through our bespoke workshops and training programmes.  Our training solutions are tailored to your specific needs, whatever your industry, your number of employees and requirements.  Click here to find out more about our workshops:

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Online /Virtual Workshops

As a result of the current crisis we have adapted all of our powerful, interactive and engaging workshops so they can be delivered virtually through our online platform. Our virtual programmes are not passive webinars where you sit quietly watching a screen.  We have done our best to create an online/virtual version of our highly interactive/engaging face to face sessions.  Participants can ask questions, get involved and participate fully.


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COVID-19 Remote Worker Wellbeing Pulse Survey

COVID-19 has undoubtedly changed the way we work. Our ‘COVID-19 Remote Worker Wellbeing Pulse Survey’ is designed to diagnose the effect COVID-19 has had on your employees who have had to adjust to working from home or who have been furloughed. It provides your people with the opportunity to voice their feelings on how they have been coping with the current situation and provides valuable insight into the actions you can take to adjust your wellbeing approach accordingly. 

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We have also created some dedicated virtual workshops to reflect the specific challenges your people are likely to face as a result of adapting to the post-normal world.



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Our Free Tools

Free Corporate Wellbeing Test

Take our Corporate Wellbeing Test now to better understand the potential challenges you are facing:



Wellbeing Test

Coping with COVID-19

Click here to read our blog post on Coping at Home and Staying Connected During the COVID-19 Pandemic: 


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Tackling Mental Health Issues

Click here to read our blog post on How We Can Do More to Tackle Mental Health in The Workplace: 

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Improving Mental Health

Click here to read our module on Improving Mental Health: 

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White Paper on ‘Assessing the Causes of Stress Within Your Organisation’

Click here to read our whitepaper on A New Approach to Assessing the Causes of Stress Within Your Organisation:

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How Can We Help?

Diagnose

We diagnose the causes of stress, poor mental health and wellbeing within your organisation & create an action plan based on these.

Develop

We empower companies to take charge of their wellbeing. Our workshops & programs are tailored to your needs and requirements.

Thrive

Our solutions enable you to demonstrate an ongoing commitment to creating an effective culture of wellbeing.

Ethos, Culture & Brand

Big ideas and strong values, ethics and principles have been at the heart of our organisation since 2003. 

Testimonials

"Our experience was excellent and we would recommend them to any other business who are looking to tackle stress in their organisation."

Pam Poppe

Abacus International
"Their service was impeccable. They are clearly knowledgable, super efficient, and they make all possible efforts to provide top customer service."

Sanja Taylor

1625 Independent People
"They have been very professional and helpful. The have improved our awareness around the topic of wellbeing and have helped educate about its importance"

Chris Browne

Euromoney Plc