1. Mental Health Awareness
Training for Employers

2. Aims and Objectives The importance of good mental wellbeing
Commonly held perceptions about mental health
Common signs and symptoms of poor mental health
Strategies for early intervention and support

3. Why is mental health important? Exercise: what impact do mental health
issues have on our business?

4. Good mental health is important because…
“There is no Health without Mental Health”
(Dept of Health 2011)

5. Mental Ill Health: The Statistics
A recent CIPD survey found that:
37% of sufferers are more likely to get into conflict with colleagues
57% find it harder to juggle multiple tasks
80% find it difficult to concentrate
62% take longer to do tasks
50% are potentially less patient with customers / clients.
Further studies have also found that 1 in 4 people have mental health
issues and costs UK employers an estimated £30 billion each year in absence,
recruitment and lost productivity.

6. How do we view mental health?
Exercise: what do you think of when you hear
the word mental?

7. Culture of Science So we are a little scared of it
So we don’t talk much about it
So we don’t learn much about it
So we don’t recognise it
We don’t know much about it

8. Employees are reluctant to raise the subject
So we don’t talk much about it…
Employees are reluctant to raise the subject
Managers shy away

9. Which are mental health conditions and which are not?
Dyslexia
M.E. / Chronic fatigue
Depression
Asperger syndrome
Stress
Bipolar disorder
Autism
Epilepsy
Anxiety
Psychosis
Schizophrenia
Learning difficulties

10. What is mental ill health?
Mental health is a state of well-being.
Mental ill health has a varied definition. It has a wide spectrum, from the
worries and grief we all experience as part of every day life to the most bleak,
suicidal depression or complete loss of touch with everyday reality.

11. The Mental Health Continuum
Maximum mental wellbeing
A person with a diagnosis of a serious illness but who copes well and positive mental wellbeing
A person with no illness or disorder and positive mental wellbeing
A person with a diagnosis of a serious mental health condition and who has poor mental wellbeing
A person with no diagnosis but has poor mental wellbeing
Maximum mental illness / disorder
Minimal mental illness / disorder
Minimal mental wellbeing

12. Common mental health conditions
Stress and pressure
Anxiety
Depression
Bi-polar disorder
Psychosis and schizophrenia
Eating disorders
Drug and alcohol addiction
Obsessive compulsive disorders
Self harm
More severe conditions

13. What damages mental health?
Misuse of drugs and alcohol
Other extreme behaviours
Avoidance and isolation
Lack of activity or over activity
Lack of valued job or role
Repeated dismissive or disrespectful treatment
Discrimination
Bullying and harassment
Poverty and social deprivation
Exclusion or abuse
Prolonged uncertainty or anxiety

14. How can we recover? Medication Psychological therapies
Specialist services
Good help and support at work

15. Spot the signs Changes in behaviour Irritability Tiredness Lateness
Physical symptoms e.g. headaches
Emotional symptoms
Saying things like “I can’t cope”
Other staff concerns
Other staff avoiding this person

16. Overlapping factors you can try to influence:
What can we influence?
Factors you can
influence in work:
Workload
Work variety
Work relationships
Involvement
Culture of disclosure
Communication
Bullying
Factors you cannot
control outside work:
Childhood experiences
Family relationships
Addiction problems
Finances
Genetics
Crime
Housing
Bereavement
Overlapping factors you can try to influence:
Money
Status
Friendships
Sense of purpose
Stress
Coping strategies
Lifestyle choices

17. How do we engage with staff? Exercise: how would you approach the case
study scenarios?

18. How to engage with staff
Who starts the
conversation?
How to
respond?
What to say?
Recognising when
professional help
is needed?
Dealing with
emotions

19. The conversation DO: Have a conversation in a private place
Make sure there are no interruptions
Be focused on supporting your employee
Ask open questions, e.g. “I was wondering how you are doing.”
Allow the person time to answer
Try to see yourself in their shoes and see things from their perspective
Make arrangements for a follow up meeting to review the situation
DO NOT:
Attempt to start a conversation in front of everyone else
Initiate a conversation if you’ve got another appointment looming
Attempt to diagnose (you are not a doctor)
Push for answers, be patient
Tell the person what to do
Leave things up in the air

20. And what could you do even better?
Supporting mental health
What currently happens in the workplace to support staff who may have a mental health condition?
And what could you do even better?

21. Create a culture of respect
Policies and procedures
Have a policy
Get buy in from the top
Train managers
Make employees aware
Create a culture of respect

22. Legalities and liabilities
Equality Act 2010:
“Discrimination occurs when someone is treated less favourably than
another person because of a protected characteristic.”
Disability is one of these protected characteristics which is defined as:
“A physical or mental impairment that has substantial and long term
negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.”

23. Right to reasonable adjustments
Schedule modification
Job modification
Environment modification
Policy changes
Providing human assistance
Providing technological assistance
Special supervisory considerations

24. Aims and Objectives Revisited
The importance of good mental wellbeing
Commonly held perceptions about mental health
Common signs and symptoms of poor mental health
Strategies for early intervention and support