I have no problem with organizations investing in providing employees with access to Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Officers. My issue is that doing that alone, does not cut it.

Firstly, we need to prevent mental health issues from happening - not try and fix it after the event. Secondly, without removing the stigma of mental health in the workplace the initiative will have little or no positive impact.

There is no band-aid solution.

Mental Wellbeing at Work - Prevention not cure!

Let's define what mental health first aid is. According to the Mental Health First Aid Australia website:

Mental health first aid is the help provided to a person who is developing a mental health problem, experiencing a worsening of an existing mental health problem or in a mental health crisis. The first aid is given until appropriate professional help is received or the crisis resolves.

It is a response to a situation that has already occurred.

My question then is what are organizations doing to prevent the development of mental health problems?

Putting in place MHFA Officers alone is like saying 'we KNOW our employees will develop mental health problems, so we will give them someone to go to.'

Seriously!

In addition to MFHA initiatives we need:

• A focus on building a workforce resilient in the face of constant and uncertain change

• Programs for resilience that are continual and contextual

• Leaders who make a conscious effort to connect with each and everyone of their people and ensure they understand their needs and concerns

• Recognition that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to mental wellbeing

• Empathetic leadership

• Leadership with the capability and competency to look after the mental wellbeing of their employees

• Psychological safety

• Everyone equipped to spot the early signs of low resilience and take appropriate action

Organizations that say they have this workforce resilience thing covered because they have run a workshop, held a retreat, provided an app, or put in place MHFA Officers, are not truly committed to looking after the mental wellbeing of their employees.

Each of those components are part of a much bigger ongoing program of work that will deliver an outstanding return on investment when taken seriously.

National mental health organisation Superfriend indicates a $4.20 return for every $1 invested in workplace mental health.

The stigma

Here are the facts.

According to a Black Dog Institute 2020 fact sheet:

Mental illness remains the most stigmatised group of disorders in the workplace. Employers frequently state they would not employ someone with a known mental disorder and employees will not risk disclosing any mental challenges. A responsible workplace should make every effort to reduce stigma and encourage help-seeking and support.

SuperFriend’s 2018 Indicators of a Thriving Workplace Report stated that of the employees surveyed:

Nearly half experience stigma in the workplace around mental health and wellbeing.

The National Stigma Report Card Data Explorer presenting the findings of the inaugural Our Turn to Speak survey conducted between October 2019 and March 2020 found that:

81.5 per cent of participants said they had avoided discussing their mental health needs and experiences at work because of stigma. 

70.7 per cent said they expected to be treated unfairly at their workplace because of stigma about mental health issues.

77.3 per cent agreed that they had been treated unfairly by employers, supervisors or managers because of stigma about mental health issues.

Those are the sobering facts.

Many workers are reluctant to reveal their experience of mental illness for fear of being treated differently or as if they are somehow less competent than other people. Much of the stigma around mental health is rooted in fear and exists mainly because some people don't understand mental illness.

If this stigma continues to prevail, employees will not reach out to MHFA Officers for help. They will not reach out to their managers or colleagues for help. They will not reach out to Employee Assistance Programs for help.

Putting in place MHFA Officers does not remove the stigma.

Removing the stigma starts with education and open and honest conversation. It needs commitment, support and compassion.

There are vast resources about removing the stigma in the workplace so I don't intend to replicate them here.

Head over to SANE Australia for some guidance.

Call to action

Let's work together - you and I - to really address the issue and build a workforce that is resilient.

Resolute, relentless, reinvigorated and revolutionised. Shall we?