Did you know that 1 in 6 people experience mental health issues at work? Even though most companies have amped up their efforts in supporting employees’ mental well-being, many workers still feel that the resources provided aren’t enough.
It’s crucial for company managers and leaders to prioritize their employees’ mental health. This not only benefits the individual workers, but also the company’s long-term performance. A mentally fit workforce translates to a better job performance; hence, increased revenue and profits.
One way you can support your employees is by keeping an eye out for signs of mental health problems. This way, you can identify potential issues early enough and offer necessary help to the victim. On that note, here are seven signs of psychological issues at the workplace.
Signs of Mental Health Problems at the
Workplace
Just so it’s easier to identify, I have classified these signs into two: physical and behavioral. These warning signs are:
Behavioral Signs
- Failing to accomplish tasks or doing them at a slower pace
- Fixated on unfair treatment issues
- Unable to handle the same workload as they used to
- Consumes more caffeine, alcohol and cigarettes to cope with work stress
- Difficulty concentrating on tasks
- Indecisive
- Struggles to recall instructions or assigned tasks
- Decreased confidence level
- Abrupt absences
- Gets into arguments with team members
- Makes more errors in their work
- Decreased participation in work activities
Physiological Signs
- Always fatigued and drowsy
- Looks sickly and depressed
- Decreased response time
- Rapid and unplanned weight gain or loss
- Constant complaints of gastrointestinal problems
- Rashes
Making it Easy to Spot Health Issues
Company leaders might have a difficult time identifying mental health issues in their employees. This is particularly the case if the work setting isn’t conducive for workers to open up. Use these tips to make this process easier:
Be Available
You should keep the lines of communication open when it comes to mental health matters. This way, the workers will feel comfortable disclosing what they’re going through and the assistance they need.
Initiate the Conversation
If you wait for workers to come to you with issues, some might never seek help. So you should take a more proactive approach. You can achieve this by checking in on them frequently, and preferably, through a one-on-one interaction.
Offer Confidentiality
One of the main reasons why employees are hesitant to disclose their mental health struggles is fear. Fear that everyone else will discover their psychological issues. To avoid such a situation, make it clear that any discussions they’ll have will always be kept private. “My son, pay attention to my wisdom, turn your ear to my words of insight, that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge.” (Proverbs 5: 1 – 2)
Engage Your Employees
Creating a mentally-sound and conducive workplace is not your sole responsibility. In fact, it can be pretty overwhelming if it is assigned only to one person.
So try to get everyone involved in these efforts, including team leaders, the HR team and others. This is important because some workers feel more comfortable sharing their mental health problems with team leaders/supervisors than the senior leaders.
