Mental health matters: Especially in the workplace

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mental health disorders are among the most burdensome health concerns in the United States. Additionally, more attention is shifting toward mental health and the workplace as employers continually recognize that untreated mental health conditions lead to disruptive and costly challenges like absenteeism and reduced productivity. With the prevalence of mental health issues in our society, it is no surprise then that several months out of the year, including May (Mental Health Month) and June (Employee Well-Being Month), focus on mental health to help raise awareness. As a result, Human Resources wants to ensure managers are properly equipped with tools and resources should an employee need assistance.
Due to the significant impact of mental health and the workplace, WellRight – a Chicago-based company focused on employee wellness – created a resource specific to managers, the “Navigating Workplace Mental Health: A Guide for Managers.” The guide offers an overview of the current state of mental health in the workplace, why workplace mental health is vital and what managers can do to help.
Mental Health America also is putting a spotlight on workplace mental health. Their Workplace Health Survey (Mind the Workplace) measures the attitudes and perceptions of over 17,000 employees across 19 industries in the United States.
According to the survey, “Workplace mental health has been receiving increased attention in recent years. It is no wonder why: workplace mental health problems result in as much as 500 billion dollars of lost productivity annually.”
Key findings, according to Mental Health America, were:

  • Staff recognition and praise are worth more to employees than compensation.
  • Non-financial perks had a considerable impact on employee engagement and job satisfaction including,
    • Flexible work arrangements
    • Open and relaxed environments
  • Workplace stress continues to contribute to increased mental and physical impairments:
    • 80 percent of employees stated that workplace stress affected their personal relationships
    • 35 percent of employees “always” miss three to five days a month because of workplace stress.

June 2019 marks the 11th-annual Employee Well-Being Month -- which spotlights the workplace’s role in creating healthy employees. The Employee Well-Being Toolkit is available for download and offers a variety of resources including a calendar of events, flyers and well-being videos that can be shared throughout your department or area.


University resources

As highlighted in the recent Purdue Today article, Purdue University offers many mental health resources to our faculty and staff. Among the resources available are:

  • Healthy Boiler Program – a multi-faceted approach to overall well-being that includes behavioral health as one of its five pillars. The Healthy Boiler Program advocates for integrated care programs that focus on behavioral health and community support.
  • Employee Assistance Counseling – available at the Center for Healthy Living (CHL) on Purdue’s West Lafayette campus – offers employees confidential and professional counseling and referral services for a wide range of issues including stress (work-related, anxiety), depression, relationships, grief, drug/alcohol assessments and more. CHL staff members can also come directly to a department meeting, retreat or lunch and provide a workshop at no cost.
  • LiveHealth Online Psychology and LiveHealth OnlinePsychiatry – courtesy of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Purdue’s medical plan administrator – provides online access to psychologists and medication management support for common behavioral conditions such as major depressive disorder, anxiety and bipolar disorder.
  • myStrength – a no-cost, emotional health and well-being program brought to you by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Purdue’s medical plan administrator – referred to as a digital “health club for the mind,” is an online mental health tool that is available to all employees and dependents. See the recent article in the April issue of The Healthy Boiler Newsletter for more information.
  • Mental Health First Aid – Purdue Extension has a team of certified facilitators of Mental Health First Aid (an eight-hour training to teach participants how to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis) who are able to bring this important, lifesaving course to your campus community, organization or department.
  • Psychology Psychological Treatment and Research Clinics – a part of the College of Health and Human Sciences, the specialty clinics offer assessment and therapeutic services for children, adults and families.

 

Community resources

Many community resources also focus on mental health, including:

  • National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) – the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization educates, advocates, listens and leads to help build better lives for those affected by mental illness.
    • NAMI Helpline can be reached at 800-950-NAMI (6264), Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET or email info@nami.org.
    • Crisis Text Line can be reached by texting “NAMI” to 741741 – 23/7 crisis support via text message.
  • Mental Health America – the nation’s leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness. Purdue employees at the West Lafayette, Fort Wayne and Northwest campuses have local access to Mental Health America services.
    • Crisis Center Hotline can be reached via 765-742-0244 (call or text) or toll-free at 877-419-1632 for any problem at any time.
    • Mental Health Screening Tools also are available via Mental Health America.

Any questions regarding benefits coverage and / or mental health resources available to faculty, staff and dependents, can be directed to Human Resources at hr@purdue.edu, HRHelp (secure email) or by phone at 765-494-2222 and toll-free at 877-725-0222.