Much ado about mental health

BY ONYEKA AGHATISE

Be honest, when you hear the word “mental”, what picture comes to mind? In Nigeria, the mention of mental health conjures an image for most of a mad woman holding a half-eaten loaf of “agege” bread, rummaging through a refuse bin, occasionally pausing to laugh hysterically and chase people around or something along those lines. The “mad” woman is usually afflicted by “juju”- facing retribution for her sins.

I blame Nollywood for this connotation and the resulting stigma and secrecy that shrouds the topic of mental health. In trying to create one of the largest film industries in the world, the collateral damage is this grim narrative associated with mental health which has become entrenched in our socialisation process.

Beyond being a taboo topic, mental health as a workplace topic often gets deprioritised because; “of all the problems facing the Nigerian offices, why should we focus on this?” Well, for starters, mental health issues have affected or will affect one in four of us in our lifetime. Given the average human spends a third of their life at work, the workplace significantly impacts our experience of the world. It, therefore, stands to reason that mental health takes priority when we discuss optimising the work environment.

So, what is mental health, and what do employers need to know? The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has a definition of mental health that I love; mental health is wellbeing (good or bad). It’s how we feel, think, interact and behave. It’s as simple as that. This wellbeing is continuously bombarded by internal/external stimuli which moderate how we think about and interact with the world around us.

I’ll limit my scope here to mental health at work and not the broader issue surrounding mental health problems under which Nigeria is crippling. Wellbeing either impacts the work environment or is affected by our working environment (positively or negatively). Mental health issues vary and can be anything from depression to anxiety to stress to schizoaffective disorder; the spectrum is broad and varied.

It means that some of your employees struggle with real issues and the workplace you enable exacerbates or alleviates them (more often inadvertently). She may not be sensitive, and he may not be a loner; they may be battling mental health issues which make work more challenging to navigate. These are not “issues” that employees should “get over”; they require careful discussion, consideration and management.

As an employer (or manager), you have a crucial role to play in supporting the health and wellbeing of your employees, whether it is related to work or not. Creating an atmosphere in which employees feel safe enough to share their issues and are supported has benefits for the employee, employer and organisation. According to the centre for disease control, mental health issues negatively affect productivity, employee engagement, team integration and lead to higher care costs and absences. So beyond just being the “right’ thing to do, creating an environment that promotes positive mental health should be in an employer’s selfish interest.

If you’re thinking, I know this already, but what can I do? Here are some essential tips

Talk about it!

Understandably, a lot of managers and business owners do not feel equipped to handle mental health issues with staff and keep quiet with best intentions. This is counter-intuitive; a culture of tiptoeing around mental health issues does more damage than good. As a business owner, it is essential to ensure that it is unequivocally clear that your organisation is a safe space to discuss these issues and where you depend on others to lead staff, it should be clear to them too.

Educate yourself!

It’s one thing to say, “this is a safe space, we can discuss”, it’s another to be able to have meaningful conversations. As a business owner or manager, you need to equip yourself. The internet is a fantastic resource; there are a plethora of free resources to upskill yourself. Mental Health U.K., The U.S. Centre for disease control and the World health organisation, are just a few places to start your journey of enlightenment.

Act

Beyond creating a safe space, discussion and empathy, showing commitment to establishing a mentally healthy culture through decisive actions. Drive and support behaviours that boost positive mental health and ensure your employees can strike a real balance between work and life. It is also important to ensure there are clearly are consequences to behaviour that adversely impacts employee wellbeing.

Get Feedback

Listen to your staff and act, whether you have one or five employees; seek to (genuinely) understand how the workplace impacts them and use those findings to act regarding mental health in your organisation. Additionally, check your progress and impact and be open to change.
These are simple steps that do not require expensive experts, certified consultants. It almost feels like ABCs; treat people fairly, listen to your employees an act decisively. They will however take you one step closer to being employer of choice and getting the most out of your employees!