Isabella Goldie

Director of Development and Delivery

M e n t a l H e a l t h A t W o r k

A P r e v e n t i o n A p p r o a c h

• Our vision is for a world with good mental health for all

• Our mission is to help people understand, protect, and sustain their mental health

Prevention is the key to achieving this

Wo r k a n d M e n t a l H e a l t h

• Employment is a key factor in individual fulfilment, bringing autonomy, pride and

confidence to individuals, families and communities.

• In our childhood living in a workless households increases risk of material

poverty (Unicef 2007), and a poor start in the early years can influence early

ambitions and motivation to work (McDaid and Park 2011).

• As adults in the workforce, employment is the main source of income, a

determinant of social status and a key source of vital social networks (DWP,

2008).

• In later life previous working life often determines our ability to support ourselves

financially and socially in retirement.

63% of those with mental illness in work, with 47% full time and 16% part

time

Meltzer et al, 2002

Cos ts

• OECD estimate the cost of poor mental health to the UK economy at £70

billion per year, equating to 4.5% of GDP.

• Mental ill health at work is thought to cost UK employers £26 billion each

year – on average £1,035 per employee (BITC, 2014) Presenteeism may

cost twice as much as absenteeism.

NICE estimates that that effective management of mental health in an UK

organisation with 100 employees could save £250,000 per year overall

(National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, 2009)

But there is more to it than the bottom line for modern business…

Ev idence Base

• Absenteeism, reduced productivity at work and staff turnover/retirement due to mental ill-health have a significant impact on productivity and competitiveness

(Jane Llopis et al 2011, Robertson and Cooper 2011)

• Successful interventions to promote wellbeing, prevent and manage mental health problems in the workplace involve a combination of actions at an organisational level and measures targeted at individuals.

(Robertson and Cooper, 2011, Teixeira et al, 2010, Sahler et al 2009)

‘Stress can be viewed as an interaction between

individuals and their environment, and measures

for overcoming the negative effects of stress

should focus on both the workplace and the

individual ‘

(David McDaid,

London School of Economics, 2008).

3 Reasons

1. It’s the law! – the Equality Act requires you to make reasonable

adjustments and HSE require risk assessments for employers with 5

or more employees

2. It will save money! - there is an economic argument around

absenteeism and presenteeism

3. It’s the right thing to do! - Over all there is a strong moral reason –

many people with mental health problems encounter barriers to

employment and discrimination in work and a result encounter

proportionately higher levels of socio-economic disadvantage.

1:4 people experience mental health problems, 1:6 each week and 1 : 6 will be in

employment - no one is immune so collectively we need to create a fairer society

P r e v e n t i o n a t W o r k

Indicated

Supporting staff who experience mental health problems to recover, thrive and develop in work,

reducing relapse.

Selective Recognising the needs of staff /customers at additional risk and

supporting accordingly

Universal

Supporting workplaces to maximise mental health and wellbeing across business,

staff and communities of operation/influence

The Experience of Stress and Pressure

Job Satisfaction

Political Management

Crisis Management Managing High Performing Individuals

and Teams

Managing High Achievers

Work/Life Balance

Presenteeism

Performance Management

Appraisal

Managing Poor Performance

Bullying

The Effect of Change

Fear of Job Cuts

Firefighting

Saying No to Others

Managing Your Own Mental Health as a Manager

Example Setting

Awareness of Actions

Shielding

Human Resources and Occupational Health

Support

Employee Assistance Programme

Availability of HR advice

Leadership

Need for this to be taken on at highest levels

Culture change and tradition

Managing for

Maximum

Performance

Commissioned to develop five short films to be

accessible, transferable, evidence based and

suitable for diverse workforce

Viewed by over 7,000 managers to date

Royal Mail Group – Feeling First Class

http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/blog/first-class-mental-health

Virgin Trains West Coast

• Pioneering 2 year charity

partnership

– Building Community Action

– Skills Sharing

– Staff and Customer

Engagement

– Fundraising

– Staff Development

Link Business Ethos

Connecting sleep with mental health – staff and customer focus

COPE Values

Compassionate

Open

Proud

Engaged

https://www.virgin.com/virgin-unite/what-virgin-trains-are-doing-combat-mental-health-stigma-workplace

Core set of values

adopted by Virgin

Trains to underpin their

staff engagement

around mental health

during the partnership

FOUNDATION

AWARENESS

Recognising Distress

Being There For Someone

Taking Care of Yourself

Facing Everyday

Challenges

Standing Against Stigma

What Work Can Do to

Help

T r a i n i n g

Foundation Awareness

Modular, evidence based MH awareness training.

PRESUME

for Managers

Scenario based active learning for Managers

I n c r e a s i n g R e a c h

• Shared production of resources and activities

• Extension of PR reach on key topics

• Research collaborations

www.bemindfulonline.com

“The Be Mindful course at GE fills an important

space in our Mindful Leaders curriculum. Its

structured content means it sits half way

between a typical 8 week teacher led, in-

person class and a digital app, offering the

benefits of both. The pre and post program

questionnaires offer our participants valuable

insight into their own self-development”

Deborah Jeremiah,

General Electric (Worldwide)

M i n d f u l n e s s i n W o r k R e c o v e r y

26%

Reduced Fatigue

25%

Decreased Rumination

33%

Improved Sleep Quality

• Randomised, waitlist control

trial of Be Mindful at work,

focusing on recovery factors

(post performance)

• Examined key areas of

mindfulness to determine

success

• Acting with awareness

• Describing

• Non-Judging

• Non-Reacting

• Maintained effects at 3 and

6 months, mainly due to

‘acting with awareness’

Querstret, D., Cropley, M., & Fife-Schaw, C. (2016, April 7). Internet-Based Instructor-Led Mindfulness for Work-Related Rumination, Fatigue, and Sleep: Assessing Facets of Mindfulness as Mechanisms of Change. A Randomized Waitlist Control Trial.

Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000028

www.bemindfulonline.com

The course includes:

Designed to be completed over 8 weeks. May be completed in as little

as 4.

10 interactive videos/ exercises led by leading

mindfulness trainers

12 assignments to practise in daily life, with

supporting emails

Online questionnaires and outcome measures for change in depression,

anxiety and stress

(PHQ9, GAD7, PSS)

Course handouts to download or print out

5 mindfulness and guided meditation audio

downloads

Online tools for reviewing progress in practising

mindfulness in daily life

C O N TA C T

Isabella GoldieDirector of Development

and Delivery

igoldie@mentalhealth.org.uk

Chris O’SullivanHead of Business Development

and Engagement

cosullivan@mentalhealth.org.uk

Mental Health Foundation

http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/mental-health-

workplace

Be Mindful

www.bemindful.co.uk

Mental Health on the Go

http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/mental-health-on-the-go-leaflet/

How to Look After Your Mental Health

http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/how-to-mental-health/

Managing and Reducing Stress

http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/how-to-stress/

Wellbeing Podcasts

http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/help-information/podcasts/

NICE Pathway on Promoting MHWB at work

http://pathways.nice.org.uk/pathways/promoting-mental-wellbeing-at-work