Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
THE SMALL FIRMS Association (SFA) is calling on small businesses to address mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, citing research that found one in five people of working age experience a mental health problem.
The SFA said that the most common issues in the workplace are stress and low morale and stressed the importance for owner managers to put the right structures in place to support themselves and their employees.
AJ Noonan, chairman of the association said that if issues aren’t addressed, they can have serious long-term consequences for the business and the individual.
“Stress-related issues; increased employee absences; lost productivity; increased work pressure on other colleagues – can have a negative effect on the overall performance of a business,” he said. “Tackling workforce challenges is an essential part of achieving better performance and greater growth.”
The SFA commented that mental health remains an area that many people do not understand or fear, and as a result, it is not talked about, especially by business people.
“Very often individuals, including business owners are reluctant to seek help,” Noonan said. “As it may be seen as a weakness or an inability to cope with business pressures.”
“Mental health problems are not necessarily a barrier to effective working,” he added. “In fact, work can play a very positive role in supporting individuals who have, or who are recovering from, mental health problems.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Seeking help is a sign of strength.
Helping anyone with mental illness is a win win situation for employer and employee.
Learning to cope with the extra challenges life can throw at a person is a sign of STRENGTH, not weakness. If I was to think of some of the stuff that I have gone through and had to cope with, particularly in last 5 years, I should be proud of myself in lots of ways. Lots of people around me ready to bring me down further. But I focused on people that lift me up and my own inner strength. A rocky road at times, considering what is classified as a “mental health system”, but the main thing is I survived. The only thing that helped in that system was Occupational therapy.
I am a fan of Mary Ellen Copeland’s work in WRAP. The 5 key concepts of recovery are ~ Hope, Personal Responsibility, Education, Self-advocacy and Support. WRAP App ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BK_jLMToeM
Sometimes support is severely lacking. I have a broken bone in my main hand at the moment and was amazed at how helpful complete strangers were when out and about. As a community there is major room for improvement in helping people who are in emotional distress.
I am also a fan of GROW ~ GROWing towards recovery: a re-enchantment with life – Mike Watts ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g08yo4Phwic
Good to hear Psychotherapist Gary Greenberg on with George Hook yesterday.
He was also in The Telegraph newspaper, at at time when Psychiatry is trying to medicate most human emotions, based on their new bible ~ the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistics Manual) ~
‘Dozens of mental disorders don’t exist’ ~ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/10359105/Dozens-of-mental-disorders-dont-exist.html
Dr. Allen Frances on the Risks of DSM-5 – The Lens Report ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AMvrcBvYWk
He is an American Psychiatrist that chaired the taskforce that created DSM-4. He highlights the dangers of using the DSM-5. When his wife died he did not get over it in 2 weeks. Because of that Psychiatry could potentially claim he was mentally ill !
George Hook & Psychotherapist Gary Greenberg yesterday ~ ~ 15 mins in ~ http://www.newstalk.ie/player/listen_back/9/4650/08th_October_2013_-_The_Right_Hook_Part_1
And Greenberg’s book ~ “The Book of Woe” ~ http://www.amazon.com/The-Book-Woe-Unmaking-Psychiatry/dp/0399158537
Thanks to the DSM, “countless millions” are hooked on powerful antidepressants to cure a mythical “chemical imbalance” (from Greenberg’s article in The Telegraph above). People are waking up to the realization that the claims of “rebalancing neurotransmitters” is untrue.
[Never stop or change prescribed drugs without talking to a mental health expert or doctor, due to the dangers of withdrawal]
PS “Depression” is very real. But the way it is explained to the general public is another story.
i had 2 occupational therapists in the ‘system’, both of them would never reply back to my phone calls. 2nd one ‘said’ they had no office phone, and never called me when they said they would. 1st one had a phone but just never answered. they never explored my options, gave me name of 1 volunteer site, didnt find them much good at all and they didnt really appear to me to be ‘therapists’ just gave me info i could of found at home on internet. no support. Wrap is apparently used in one of the National Learning network centre, again didnt get much support from them. they’d a psychologist who seemed to just want to deal with kids, told me and others to find outside support. was told i was above a certain level to do a course i NEVER did before or KNEW anything about! half of it i knew but the other half i needed to learn. i was told this after id left due to illness again and wanted to go back, then, WHY was i taken in the first place? They spoke down to me, and seem to forget that theyre dealing with adults unwell that fall, get up and may fall again, its not a primary school. I could write a book on my experiences. The work place had 1 bully, employer was told THREE times about it over a 2 year period not to mention the amount of intimidation and secret bullying i had to endure from this low self-esteemed nasty rude worker, not one week would go past. That was my downfall again and i havent recovered since really. I fear the work place now, theres bullys everywhere in it, attitude, ego, power struggle, rude behaviour, liars, its very bad out there. how can some one who wishes to do their work as best they can and are respectful to others, nice, polite, live with this? Nothing was done about that worker, i ended up leaving, wasn’t well to fight it alone as i had other issues with trying to get my few wages owed. the amount of shite they out me through, disrespectful, greedy monsters. i told my doctor had i a gun id have gone back and shot them all. seriously! thats what it can do to someones mental health, drive them over the edge with thoughts like that. they should be in jail. i also felt the bully was using people on the outside to intimidate me swell, cos i was reporting them for bad behaviour, one day 2 ‘very dodgy’ looking people were outside walking up and down, like watching someone, looking into our office windows??? we called the Garda, when the came they were gone. i found it very odd, maybe it was nothing but after what i was going through i wouldnt have put it passed them. this co-worker after all came from a bad part of town, you never know i thought.
All this looks well in print and heard about, talking on radio but behind closed doors, its another story. I even worked in a 1 of the top 4 companies in this country and found 2 more amongst say 20 in my area. that 18 were great people to work with, but then there was 2, not even managers or up the ladder, just annoying, nit picking, attitude bullies. i walked off that as well as it wasnt long after the other place. i thought, theres no point, nothing will be done about it. some people are kind, soft, sensitive, but PLEASE let them do their work and respect people. theyre not doing you any harm ffs! leave them alone and get yourselves help!
Sorry that you have had a difficult time. People who experience mental health difficulties are no more violent than the rest of society, unless drugs or alcohol are involved. And I include prescribed psychoactive drugs in that.
Small business’, large business’, well -established institutes, schools and family homes should all be open and free to discuss and nurture mental health awareness. The myths of strength vs weakness are unhelpful historical constructs that can be very damaging. #mindyourself
I am blessed and fortunate never to have been in this position, but – if a business/company/corporation is in the business of stigmatising and bullying its employees, particularly its younger ones, with mental health stigma and questioning their competency because they try to balance these issues, why I’m past caring if they go broke to tell you the truth. They *should* suffer and be penalised for stigmatising.
No, it won’t hurt “the economy”. If you have young people who are killing themselves because they’re ashamed to speak up, then your profit can take a ****ing running jump. “The economy” is only as good as the contentment and happiness of the people who are in it.
Mental health may be presented as a soft HR issue…however truth is that staff revealing it may suffer re: promotion prospects. Also for employer there may be health and safety issues..vast employment law issues…insurance issues…it goes on…resulting in the fact that many employees and indeed employers don’ t want to go there.
This is all very true Stephen. Even with the biggest companies here in Ireland.
A bit of a generalized statement considering sometimes problems are transitory and that there are various levels of severity. All the more reason for people going through distress to try to recover and maybe work for themselves eventually so they don’t suffer thisk ind of discrimination. The sooner Big Pharma and poor prescribing habits of powerful psychotropic drugs are dealt with the better. Insurance issues? Health & safety issues? You appear to be coming up with all possible obstacles.
If people can recover without drugs they are just as good as rest of population in most cases. All the more reason to keep mental health issues hidden in the workplace. I was a productive member of society until Psychiatry tried to take over my life. Glad to be free from their brain numbing drugs.
If it is inappropriate for me to do this, the moderators may remove this comment. But I am currently running a short fiction competition on the theme of mental health, stigma and power, with good prize money. If you are interested, please check out the rules which are clearly marked on the website. The competition details are here
walkingonthinice.org
Tks Susan
The issues of stress, health and wellbeing are becoming more widely discussed. Recently the government has introduced the Health, Work and Wellbeing initiative here in the United Kingdom. It will be interesting to see the impact of this over time.
Good to hear Psychotherapist Gary Greenberg on with George Hook yesterday ~ 15 mins in ~ http://www.newstalk.ie/player/listen_back/9/4650/08th_October_2013_-_The_Right_Hook_Part_1
He was also in The Telegraph newspaper, at at time when Psychiatry is trying to medicate most human emotions, based on their new bible ~ the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistics Manual) ~
‘Dozens of mental disorders don’t exist’ ~ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/10359105/Dozens-of-mental-disorders-dont-exist.html
Dr. Allen Frances on the Risks of DSM-5 – The Lens Report ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AMvrcBvYWk
He is an American Psychiatrist that chaired the taskforce that created DSM-4. He highlights the dangers of using the DSM-5. When his wife died he did not get over it in 2 weeks. Because of that Psychiatry could potentially claim he was mentally ill !
have your say