Liverpool City Region showcase new resources for mental health in the workplace.
Lockdown has brought to light a large range of issues that stem from having a poor state of mind. It’s easier now, more than ever, to empathise with those of us who live with mental illness on a daily basis. For most of us feeling pent-up lockdown angst, however, a daily walk, jog or chat with our friends will leave us feeling somewhat refreshed, at least in the short term.
If you have a mental illness, it’s not as easy as a brisk walk. That’s why it’s very reassuring to hear Steve Rotheram and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority are actively working with mental health institutions such the CIPD and Zero Suicide Alliance to help for employers learn about mental well-being, mental health and to support their employees.
Steve Rotheram had this to say:
“This past year has been exceptionally difficult for all of us and, while there has been an obvious focus on people’s physical health, this pandemic has put an enormous strain on mental health too.”
“I would really encourage employers to take advantage of the resources available to help improve the wellbeing of staff. A healthier, happier workforce is a more productive workforce too.”
“I want everybody to know that it’s okay to be not okay. You are not alone. There is support out there and I hope that by raising awareness more people feel comfortable coming forward and getting the support they need.”
Mental health can affect us all.
Did you know that everyone is at potential risk of psychosis? We don’t mean to sound dramatic when we say that, but it’s true. Sleep deprivation psychosis. If you get too little sleep over an extended time period you will likely begin to hallucinate and even become delusional. We’ve all had times in our lives where we couldn’t sleep properly, because of work, stress or similar reasons, but if this happens over a long enough period of time it’s going to be massively impactful to our mental health. So if these resources allow someone to recognise signs of delapedating mental health, and at the very least, point us in the right direction, or even prevent some sort of episode, fantastic! Especially if it’s our bosses, an important authority figure in our lives.
Mental Disorders are more common than you might think.
The most common kinds of mental afflictions come to humanity in the form of stress, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Now, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are chronic disorders that a person will be dealing with throughout their lives; symptoms can be eased with medications but there are no known cures at this time. Looking at current research, it’s unlikely a person will become schizophrenic or bipolar like one might become stressed or anxious. There are also anxiety disorders where research is more vague, but it seems that certain traumatic events in a person’s life play a role in their development.
Schizophrenia and bipolar are more common than you might think, they each effect 1 in 100 people. 1 in 20 people are said to have an anxiety disorder, and a little under 1 in 8 people have experienced a panic attack in their lives.
Although the new resources are aimed at employers, mental health is something we should all be taking an interest in, even if only at a surface level. Being able to at least understand mental afflictions from typical stress all the way up to psychosis, is a good step in the right direction for us as a society.
The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s website has linked out to the resources below, aimed at employers.
https://growthplatform.org/mental-health-in-the-workplace/
https://www.zerosuicidealliance.com/training
https://growthplatform.org/enhancing-skills/skills-brokerage-service/
If you or anyone you know suffer with mental health difficulties, you can get free support from the NHS. You can find more information here.