Improving Workplace Mental Health

A really interesting and informative article provided by Standard Life. This is really good information to know on how to help your staff and watch for the signals that your staff need help.

 

 

Improving workplace mental health

    Considering individual and organizational factors in a comprehensive and integrated approach to prevention
 In this document
  • What can we learn from the SALVEO Study, the most important research study conducted in Canada on factors that contribute to the incidence of major mental health disorders?
• What is the impact on mental health disorders of external factors to the workplace, as opposed to occupational factors?
• What can employers do to control mental health disorders among their employees and limit the personal and financial consequences?
• How to take effective action to deal with workplace-specific factors.
• What are the most effective management practices to promote a healthy work environment?

Employers do not control all factors determining mental health.
  For many Canadians, the workplace stimulates self-development and self-realization. It is an environment that contributes to personal well-being and nurtures healthy self-esteem and work-life balance.

The workplace, however, is often seen as a source of substantial stress; one that contributes to the incidence of mental health disorders, such as psychological distress, depression or burnout. Mental health problems affect nearly a quarter of Canadian workers. Adults at the beginning and at the peak of their careers are the most severely affected by them.

It is standard practice for employers to try and limit the incidence of mental health problems among employees. Preventive measures may include a review of management practices and the implementation of a health and wellness program.
 How can we distinguish between the impact of determining factors employers can control (management policies, support program, workload) and the impact of factors beyond their control (family life, personal problems, individual traits)?
 The SALVEO Study recently conducted with the support of Standard Life provides some answers. It highlights the importance of distinguishing between the triggering factors specific to certain mental health disorders. When used in conjunction with a precise diagnosis, research findings can help maximize the impact of health and wellness programs on employees’ health by focusing efforts and resources that respond to the most urgent problems in the workplace.
 A substantial and increasing economic burden
   The 2011 report of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, "Making the Case for Investing in Mental Health in Canada", states that 21.4% of the working population (aged from 20 to 64 years) suffers from a mental health disorder or mental illness. The Commission estimates lost productivity due to absenteeism, presenteeism and staff turnover costs Canadian businesses approximately $6.3 billion annually. Over the next 30 years, the Commission conservatively forecasts an overall cost to the Canadian economy of $2.5 trillion.
 Source: Investing in Mental Health in Canada

A new enlightening study
  The SALVEO Study conducted by professors Alain Marchand and Pierre Durand of the School of Industrial Relations at the Université de Montréal, working in collaboration with researchers at Concordia University and the Université Laval, identifies some of the triggering factors for major mental health disorders. Research findings help determine in a precise manner the role of individual and organizational factors in the incidence of these disorders.
 This comprehensive research – the most important to date in Canada – provided an opportunity for researchers to address a series of factors which potentially lead to the development of psychological distress, depression or burnout. The research will be used to develop new early screening tools for mental health problems in the workplace.
About the SALVEO Study
  Funded in part by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Fonds de recherche du Québec - Santé, the SALVEO Study was completed with the support of Standard Life Canada. Standard Life facilitated the selection of participating businesses and organizations through its network of clients and partners. Standard Life employees also participated in the study. Researchers questioned more than 2,100 employees from 63 companies and organizations.

Researchers were interested in validating the assumption that the effects of personal and professional problems cannot be considered separately when evaluating the mental health of individuals. The study addressed a variety of factors, including work organization, family and workplace relations, individual traits, such as self-esteem, and other potential risk factors, such as chronic diseases and alcohol consumption.

Using a questionnaire with nearly 300 questions, the study helped determine and compare some of the factors specific to the incidence of psychological distress, depression or burnout.

The research methodology is significant because survey results from the self-reporting questionnaires were matched with biological indicators, including a measure of cortisol level. Cortisol is a hormone found in saliva and recognized as an indicator of an individual’s level of stress. For the study, samples were taken on two work days and on one rest day, from 401 of the 2,162 participating employees. Five individual samples were taken at regular intervals on these days.  

The empirical data collected helped validate the relevance of the questionnaires in the identification of the mental health disorders being examined. This had never been done before in the workplace. Facts and figures • Two years collecting data • 2,162 surveyed workers • 63 different workplaces • 401 sample subjects for saliva tests • More than 6,000 saliva samples analyzed • 65 management practices compared

Psychological distress • Underlies the incidence of more serious mental health problems • Anxiety, irritability and some temporary cognitive impairments • Measure: Score of 3 or more on the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) Depression • A clinically-identified illness • Major loss of interest or enjoyment, periods of major sadness and feelings of hopelessness • Measure: Score of 20 or more on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-21) Burnout • Appears slowly and subtlety • Emotional fatigue, depersonalization or cynicism and loss of effectiveness at work • Measure: Score of 4 or more on the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBIS-16)