Imagine a workplace where the primary focus is driving productivity, creativity, and employee satisfaction, and mental health is a secondary issue. This is upsetting, considering that mental health issues affect over 1.7% of the United States population, leading to a loss equivalent to 200 million workdays annually (Auten, D & Fritz, 2019). Some of the causes of mental health issues at the workplace are demanding work, stigma, and inadequate support systems. Behavioral and mental health issues are at a peak in the workplace for people aged between 20 and 30 years (Goetzel et al., 2018). The mental health interventions should include providing accessible resources, de-stigmatization, work-life balance, fostering supportive cultures, and mental health literacy. This article examines the effects of mental health issues in the workplace, intervention barriers, and effective support strategies. Organizations should foster employee’s mental well-being to improve employee morale, productivity, and overall performance.
There are multiple internal stressors for employees in the workplace, and most of them are based on work pressures and employee relationships. The causes of mental health issues include long working hours, poor support systems, harassment, work pressure, and understaffing. Stigmatization, stereotypes, and negative beliefs substantially contribute to changes in mental disorders and poor social interaction (Kelloway et al., 2023). There are many other stressors like unrealistic expectations, high workloads, and poor work-life balance. The managers trained on mental health issues are approximately 33%, despite over 80% believing that it is their duty (Dimoff & Kelloway, 2019). Also, stress can arise from the lack of social support, interpersonal conflicts, and organizational culture. Some employees have higher stress levels due to job insecurity and career uncertainty. Recent studies have associated the exacerbation of mental health disorders with harassment, bullying, and discrimination while in the workplace.
Additionally, mental health issues can arise due to external factors like personal stressors, long commutes, and financial pressures. The long commutes lead to energy drain and fatigue before work, while financial pressures increase anxiety. According to Kelloway et al. (2023), most workers find it challenging to balance professional obligations with personal responsibilities, leading to exacerbation in stress levels and inability to cope with high pressures and work demands. External stressors like health concerns and family conflicts reduce employees’ resilience and linger in the employees’ minds, reducing work performance.
There is a surge in mental health disorders in the workplace, leading to increased absenteeism, decreased productivity, and escalated healthcare costs for employers. A 2016 summit report reveals that employers spent approximately $18.142 on health insurance, a rise from 2006 expenditure of $11,480, representing 58% (Goetzel et al., 2018). Mental disorders lead to a substantial impact on organizational success, evident through heightened absenteeism, reduced productivity, and increased healthcare expenses. Most workers experiencing mental health issues experience a lack of motivation, decreased teamwork, reduced focus, and insomnia (Kelloway et al., 2023). This substantially contributes to an increased risk of injuries, errors, and accidents, posing safety risks and financial losses. This is perturbing, considering that poor psychological health significantly contributes to poor impulse control, poor decision-making, and unhealthy decisions. The failure to improve employees’ mental health reduces innovation and creativity, leading to poor organizational performance.
Mental health disorders contribute to the reduction in work performance and productivity in multiple ways. According to Goetzel et al. (2018), the most prevalent encounters of mentally ill employees are poor work focus, reduced task efficiency, and decision-making challenges. Also, mental issues exacerbate presentism and absenteeism, thus diminishing workplace effectiveness (Auten, D & Fritz, 2019). Presentism occurs in the form of physical presence at work and reduced performance. Dimoff & Kelloway (2019) contend that employee leave accounts for 70% of the claims in the disability cost. The prevalence of mental health concerns leads to negative perceptions about an organization’s culture and employee support and leadership. The upsurge in mental health issues tarnishes an organization’s reputation and publicity. This leads to employees’ anger, which can exacerbate resentment against the corporation.
Most employees experiencing mental health issues have strained interpersonal relationships and team dynamics. This leads to challenges in contributing to teamwork tasks and a decline in sharing innovative ideas that can transform an organization’s performance. Goetzel et al. (2018) assert that employees with mental health issues have a 70% performance compared to their optimal performance. The behavior changes associated with mental health disorders lead to increased conflicts, tension, and misunderstandings among colleagues. Stigmatization hinders open dialogue and support teams, leading to poor communication, collaboration, and cohesion.
Most workers are reluctant to seek mental health interventions due to stigmatization and discrimination. The fear of judgment, discrimination, or negative ramifications deters the employees from disclosure and seeking support from co-workers. The reluctance to seek assistance leads to exacerbated stress levels and perpetuates a cycle of suffering. The social stigma associated with mental health issues leads to embarrassment and shaming (Kelloway et al. (2023). Some employees are reluctant to seek mental care due to high costs, cultural norms, and beliefs. There is a vast population of employees who are unaware of mental health programs, while some have limited access to health resources. The leaders in diverse organization departments should collaborate to foster a friendly environment and offer social support to all employees.
Organization leaders should be at the forefront of fostering mental health and well-being among their employees. The adoption of proactive strategies like the Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and providing managers and subordinates training about mental health issues is key in addressing mental health concerns. According to the demands-resources theorem, the provision of personal growth and development is fundamental in resolving (Kelloway et al., 2023). Proactive measures will create supportive environments that foster resilience and employee well-being. The leaders should promote an organizational culture that enhances empathy, diversity, inclusivity, and understanding. The essence is developing a supportive work environment where employees feel supported and valued.
Additionally, mental health discussions and open communication will encourage help-seeking and foster acceptance and a sense of belonging. Also, the provision of self-care resources and mental health education materials can empower employees to prioritize mental well-being. The success of education intervention implies that most employees are willing to disclose their mental health issues (Dimoff & Kelloway, 2019). The effort of supporting and showing employees value increases engagement and improves organizational performance. Mental health support increases employee morale, retention rates, and overall productivity. Addressing mental health issues creates a resilient and healthier team to foster a culture of fulfillment and success. Poor communication reduces turnover rates, mental health costs, and absenteeism.
The leaders should develop interpersonal communication with the workers to establish the causes of stress. Employee empowerment, social support, and fostering awareness are vital in solving mental disorders in the workplace. Kelloway et al. (2023) advance that a culture of bottom-up communication, interpersonal relationships, support, fairness, and social responsibility is vital in resolving mental health issues. It is fundamental to provide accessible resources like mental health literacy programs and EAPs. Providing support resources and services will foster confidential help-seeking and access to social support. Proactive measures are fundamental in creating a healthier and productive work environment for all employees.
It is important to train supervisors and managers to recognize and resolve mental health issues with immediate effect. The training will equip the supervisors and managers with essential skills for identifying mental health struggles and responding appropriately. This will promote mental wellness and provide effective support to their team members, making the employees feel supported and treasured. Managers’ training leads to high Returns on Investment (ROI), improved mental health resource usage, and higher mental health literacy (Dimoff & Kelloway, 2019). Likewise, training will foster empathy, understanding, and positivity in resolving workplace issues. Organizations’ investment in a healthier work team improves workers’ motivation and engagement, which leads to better organizational performance.
Summarily, organizations should improve employee’s mental health to improve employee motivation, output, and overall performance. Mental health issues in employees lead to high turnover, reduced productivity, and morale, affecting team dynamics, organizational reputation, and overall performance. Likewise, it affects productivity, safety, and turnover rates. Organization leaders should prioritize on de-stigmatization of mental illness and foster a culture of support or EAPs, open communication, understanding, and empathy. It is fundamental to offer literacy programs to leaders, and empowerment and flexible work schedules for subordinates. Focusing on mental health can foster innovation and resilience, driving high performance and better organizational performance.
Auten, D., & Fritz, C. (2019). Mental health at work: How mindfulness aids in more ways than one. Organizational Dynamics, 48(3), 98-104.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgdyn.2018.04.001
Dimoff, J., & Kelloway, E. K. (2019). Mental health problems are management problems: Exploring the critical role of managers in supporting employee mental health. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/psy_fac/202/
Goetzel, R. Z., Roemer, E. C., Holingue, C., Fallin, M. D., McCleary, K., Eaton, W., & Mattingly, C. R. (2018). Mental health in the workplace: A call to action proceedings from the mental health in the workplace: Public health summit. Journal of occupational and environmental medicine, 60(4), 322. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5891372/
Kelloway, E. K., Dimoff, J. K., & Gilbert, S. (2023). Mental health in the workplace. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, pp. 10, 363–387. https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-120920-050527