Depression and anxiety may be more common than the common cold. So why don’t we talk about them, especially in the workplace?

The stigma — that mental health issues are something to be ashamed of or to hide — is what keeps 8 in 10 workers with a mental health condition from talking about it or getting the help they need.

Take a look around your office: Right now, 1 in every 5 employees is experiencing fair to poor mental health, according to a poll by Gallup. That number goes up to one out of every three if you’re a female worker younger than 30.

Mental health issues at work shouldn’t be confined to half-hearted jokes about needing a mental health day. Consider these statistics:

• Mental illness is the single greatest cause of workplace disability worldwide.

• Nearly half of young workers ages 18 to 29 say their job has negatively affected their mental health.

• Of these, less than half say they’re aware of any mental health resources available through their employer.

• Employees who say their mental health is fair to poor missed an average of nearly 12 days of work annually, costing employers $4,080 per employee.

Unfortunately, 43% of workers indicate that they worry if they tell their employer about a mental health condition, it would have a negative impact on them in the workplace, according to the 2023 Work in America Survey by the American Psychological Association.

Start the conversation on mental health

By talking about mental health collectively — especially in the workplace — we can help make our mental health and well-being a priority. At work, you can:

• Proactively share mental health resources available for employees, including during companywide meetings and your regular check-ins with teams.

• Share internal videos of company leaders talking about their mental health to help combat perceptions that mental health discussions are taboo at work.

• Support using PTO to focus on improving mental health, too, not just physical health.

• Model healthy behaviors by telling employees you took time for a midday walk, therapy appointment or other self-care.

• Survey your employees to find out more about their mental health at work and their awareness of available resources. Take action in response to your findings.

Make work a safe space for mental health

Next, take it a step further. Be deliberate about ensuring your workplace culture is actually a safe space for mental health. Ask yourself questions like:

• Do employees trivialize mental health by making comments like, “She’s being crazy today” or “Everyone gets depressed sometimes — it’s not a big deal”?

• Are all employees trained on how to identify and respond empathetically when someone shows signs of psychological distress?

• Does my company have and enforce anti-discrimination policies, including responding to inappropriate remarks or harmful jokes about someone’s mental health?

• Does my company ensure employees are reasonably accommodated for their mental health issues, such as being able to miss work for medical appointments?

• Are employees with mental health issues excluded socially?

If the answers to these questions bother you, you can make changes today. When you normalize conversations about mental health by putting it on the same level as physical health issues — employees will feel encouraged to speak up when they need support. Fold mental health education into annual training, too, so employees can consider if they unconsciously view mental health issues through a negative lens. Acceptance and knowledge are powerful tools that can help break apart the stigma of mental health.

Start your mental health journey. Willowbrooke has licensed professionals who specialize in employee mental health. Willowbrooke at Tanner can help. To get started call 770-812-3266.