World Mental Health Day started in 1992 and is observed on 10 October every year, with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health. The World Health Organisation (WHO), in celebrating this day every year, provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.
It is a fact that many people suffer from mental health issues in the workplace. Not only does it make life very difficult for sufferers, it also costs businesses a huge amount of money. In Britain, for example, the cost of failing to address mental health in business costs more than £33- £42 billion a year. About 300,000 people fall out of work a year as a result of poor mental health which is a huge cost to workplaces and to individuals alike. Behind those numbers are the lives of talented, able employees who often slide away from the workplace because they don’t get the right help and support for their mental health. These people are a great loss to the business costing companies more money to recruit and train new staff with no guarantee of replacing the experience they have previously lost.
The subject of mental health is no longer an anathema. It is part of working life. More and more sufferers are feeling less inhibited and are talking about this issue and sharing their problems. That aside however, it is the responsibility of Managers to look out for signs of mental health problems which include feeling sad or down, confused thinking or inability to concentrate, extreme mood changes of highs and lows, withdrawal from friends or activities., and strive to counsel and offer help as quickly as possible before the problem worsens leaving the employee no choice but to leave the workplace. A business is only as good as the people it employs. Investing in the mental health of its employees is money well spent.