The Other Invisible Epidemic: Workers’ Mental Health Disorders. Sharing the Responsibility

1. Setting limits on the amount of time and energy I can devote to work | Functional dimension 
2. Maintaining work/life balance | Physical dimension
3. Thinking about my surroundings and my working conditions to identify sources of stress | Clinical dimension
4. Creating positive relationships with colleagues and managers | Social dimension
5. Drawing inspiration from someone who has recovered | Existential dimension
6. Getting help from a health professional | Clinical dimension
7. Learning how and when to have conversations with my manager about my needs | Social dimension
8. Setting realistic goals | Functional dimension
9. Acquiring a certain degree of control over my workspace (e.g. lighting, clutter, noise, location, accessibility, music) | Functional dimension
10. Finding meaningful tasks at work | Existential dimension

FOR WORKERS

• *Learn to accept, identify and communicate your limits to your manager (e.g. I’m having trouble with this assignment). Do not hesitate to ask them what the current priorities are in order to focus your efforts appropriately.

• *Be more assertive about your needs and expectations to your manager as well as your colleagues.Clarify roles and responsibilities in the tasks entrusted to you, so that expectations are clear on all sides.

• *Identify the elements of your work environment (e.g. noise) and situations (e.g. unforeseen events) that are significant sources of worry for you. It may be wise to keep a written record of these elements to aid your thinking.

• *Make sure to follow a schedule, particularly if you are working remotely. It is imperative to draw a line between working hours and non-working hours, when you can engage in other activities (e.g. avoid checking and replying to emails outside of working hours).

• *Take the time to appreciate positive things in your life (e.g. remember how it felt to go on a bike ride with loved ones).

• *Try to create positive relationships with your colleagues and managers (e.g. take advantage of your lunch break to have more informal discussions with them; be curious and show interest in them).

• *Be grateful for the support that your manager or colleagues have given you and express your gratitude (e.g. thank them when they help you out).

• *Learn to put negative thoughts aside (e.g. try to see the positive side of every situation rather than focusing on the negative) in order to be fully present with the people around you.

• *Think of a colleague or someone close to you who has encountered similar issues (e.g. trouble meeting deadlines due to symptoms of anxiety or depression) to those that you are currently experiencing and draw inspiration from that person.

• If you feel comfortable doing so, approach that person and ask them what advice they have to manage symptoms.

FOR MANAGERS

• *Make sure that your employees’ workloads and the complexity of their tasks are appropriate given the resources available to them, including: 1) personal resources (e.g. resilience, the ability to make it through a difficult situation), 2) psychological resources (e.g. feeling that they are able to complete their tasks successfully) and 3) work-related resources (e.g. clearly defined roles and opportunities for development).

• Be attentive to warning signs of psychological distress that employees may exhibit (e.g. fatigue, irritability, isolation).

• Be open, sensitive and ready to listen to your employees’ work-related needs and avoid playing the role of a psychologist. If necessary, direct your employees to the appropriate resources (e.g. employee assistance programs).

• * **Increase your employees’ sense of control, so that they feel autonomous in accomplishing their work (**e.g. give them the option of choosing their own schedule)

• **Offer your employees training to better equip them in problem solving, stress management and time management.

• Help your employees to find their own solutions by asking the right questions (e.g. what do they struggle with the most in their work?), then offer them appropriate paths forward according to the challenges they face.

FOR ORGANIZATIONS

• **Implement interventions promoting mental health at work, such as:
  • Promoting the employee assistance program (EAP).
  • Interventions concerning the prevention of psychosocial risks (e.g. stress, harassment, burnout).
  • Work-life balance programs to promote a more even distribution of workers’ time and efforts.

• **Implement interventions promoting physical health at work, such as:
  • A policy promoting physical exercise within your organization (e.g. allow employees to extend their lunch break by thirty minutes twice a week to take part in a physical activity).
  • An awareness campaign on the benefits of healthy eating and providing healthy food in the workplace.

• **Use an organizational health survey to identify employees in your organization who are at risk of developing a mental health disorder (make sure that the survey is anonymous and to provide psychological assistance services).
• **Offer a stress management program extending over several weeks for employees exposed to certain risk factors.
• Establish a sentinel program in the workplace; sentinels are employees trained to detect signs of psychological distress and provide immediate support and an attentive ear and then refer the employee to appropriate support resources if necessary.
• Establish a workplace mental health peer support program. Peer supporters agree to be identified within the organization so they can help other employees going through similar difficulties to theirs (e.g. set realistic goals).

• ** Be sure to make certain arrangements available as accommodations (e.g. more frequent breaks so an employee can take their medication discreetly; a flexible timetable so that an employee can attend medical appointments without any hassles).