Address mental health in the workplace

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. “The workplace can be a key location for activities designed to improve well-being among adults,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

Take time this month – and all year round – to promote awareness of worker well-being. Suggestions from CDC:

• Make mental health self-assessment tools available to employees.
• Offer free or subsidized clinical screenings for depression from a qualified mental health professional.
• Distribute materials, including brochures and videos, to employees about the signs and symptoms of poor mental health as well as opportunities for treatment.
• Provide free or subsidized lifestyle coaching, counseling or self-management programs.
• Host seminars or workshops that address depression and stress management techniques, such as mindfulness, breathing exercises and meditation, to help employees reduce anxiety and stress.
• Create and maintain dedicated, quiet spaces for relaxation activities.
• Provide managers with training to help them recognize the signs and symptoms of stress and depression in team members and encourage them to seek help from qualified mental health professionals.
• Give employees opportunities to participate in decisions about issues that affect job stress.

To help employers understand the role they play in supporting the mental health of their employees, the National Safety Council and NORC at the University of Chicago created the Mental Health Cost Calculator for Employers, funded by Nationwide. This easy-to-use tool provides business leaders with data-driven insight about the costs of employee mental distress in their workplaces.

Find the calculator at nsc.org/mentalhealthatwork#.