Why organisations should spread mental health awareness among employees

Every employer’s biggest asset is his employees. If you have a strong and sound workforce, little can come in way of you achieving success. It is for this reason that more and more employers are paying close attention to the mental health of their employees. There will be days in the life of every working individual when they will reach the limit of their mental well-being. Be it dealing with a tiresome client on an on-going project or racing against unrealistic deadlines, there are several factors that can cause employees to suffer a nervous breakdown.

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When your employees crack under pressure, it can spell doom for your business in more ways than one as they won't only take holidays to reset their mental equilibrium to a healthy level, but they will also scout for other opportunities that won't take a toll on their health. However, not many employers are aware of what 'mental health' actually means. Mental health can be simply defined as a state of well-being in which one can successfully cope with the normal stresses of life.

Here's why organisations should actively spread mental health awareness among their employees.

Armed with information, employees will know when they are depressed

Even though a lot of people suffer from mental illness, several do not realise that they have a condition. When employees will have access to mental health professionals, they will be able to recognise symptoms of stress and depression. This in turn will guard them against common disorders and they will be able to function with ease knowing that their mental well-being is important to their employers.

It will lead to a healthy work culture

When organisations give their employees access to meditation classes, substance abuse counselling, and mental health seminars, it cultivates a healthy work culture amongst employees. When employees develop a comfort level with one another, it encourages healthy competition and friendly relations. All of this can boost an employee's mental well-being and will lead more employees to seek help amongst themselves when faced with dire situations and problems. Employers should go out of their way to ensure that their work environment is a supportive and safe place as this will promote a healthy work culture.

Depression is the main cause of a mental breakdown

A lot of employees are stuck doing jobs that they don't enjoy. Some are unhappy with how a project is taking shape, while other are dissatisfied with the salary they are getting. All of this festers over a period of time and leads to workplace depression. When employees have easy access to a mental health professional, they can identify the symptoms of depression and thus prevent a mental breakdown. They can also learn in detail how to eat and exercise right which will bolster their mental well-being.

Employers can help their employees stay mentally as well as physically fit in a number of ways. When employees are armed with the knowledge on how to deal with mental disorders, they can lead more productive lives.