Mental Health Difficulties: Employee's Mental Condition Needs Attention

For quite some time now, mental health difficulties are among the stigmatized conditions in different parts of the world. Very few people talk about it without judgment and there are numerous misconceptions about it. Now, there is an ongoing discussion about the importance of paying attention to mental health in businesses. How important is openly talking about an employee's mental condition?

On the occasion of Mental Health Day, the campaign to end the stigma of mental health difficulties is going as far as discussing employers' support for the wellbeing of their staff particularly an employee's mental condition. A part of the campaign also stresses the fact that darkness and depression are not the only ones defining mental health problems.

Known to many, Sanctus offers coaching sessions to businesses with the aim of improving their approach to mental health. It was launched by James Routledge. According to The Guardian, Routledge's own mental health difficulties led him to do what he is doing right now. He suffered from anxiety alongside stress, sleepless nights, and panic attacks. His colleagues did not know about it because he did not want to admit vulnerability or weakness.

Through Sanctus, Routledge emphasizes the importance for business founders to create a culture that accepts vulnerability and wherein it is okay for workers to say they are not feeling good or they are feeling stressed. In hindsight, he wants to promote the importance of paying attention to each employee's mental condition. Routledge added that thinking that mental health is just about darkness and depression is comparable to talking just about disease and obesity in physical health.

Meanwhile, Business in the Community (BITC) reported that UK workplaces still have a culture of stigma and silence in relation to mental health and an employee's mental condition. This is despite the fact in 20,000 people, three out of four say they experienced poor mental health symptoms at some point in their lives.

As earlier mentioned, mental health difficulties occur in different parts of the world. Apart from UK, Pakistan is currently experiencing problems related to people with mental health disorders. According to Geo.tv, nearly 50 million people suffer from mental disorders. But unfortunately, there is only one psychiatrist available for every half-million people. Adding up to the problem is the fact that there are negative perceptions about people with mental illness as well as misleading and inaccurate stereotypes. Such thoughts greatly affect people's struggle to cope and deal with their condition.

Apparently, the facts stated above show a lot of people's great need for help and understanding. In workplaces, showing genuine concern for an employee's mental condition can help a lot. In different parts of the world, there is a need to break the negative perceptions and stereotypes about people with mental health difficulties.