NB: The content quoted below was written by Jared Lindzon for a Globe and Mail article published online for subscribers only, under the title "‘A worthwhile investment’: A third of Canadians say their employer overlooks serious mental health problems."

As a long-time mental health advocate, stigma fighter and Founder of StigmaZero (a workplace mental health training firm), I strive to remain current on mental health news. Today, I read an article in the Globe and Mail which contained the statements and statistics quoted below – all of which are so important I am compelled to share them widely.

I urge you to read the following direct quotes from that article and ask yourself, "is my workplace doing all it can to address mental health challenges and illnesses?"

As more Canadians struggle with their mental health, many feel they aren’t getting sufficient support from their employers.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has seen a steady increase  in mental health and addiction cases in recent years, including a significant spike during the pandemic .“ There were some increases during COVID around mental health and suicidality, and people are still struggling,” says Dr. Donna Ferguson, a clinical psychologist at CAMH.

A troubling new study conducted by mental health support app maker Wysa suggests one in four Canadians are bothered by thoughts of self-harm, and 12 per cent of workers have had a colleague who attempted — or lost their life to — suicide in the past year.

According to the survey  of 2,000 Canadian employees, 31 per cent also say their employer is overlooking serious mental health problems at work. Furthermore, 34 per cent say their employer treats mental health as a “check-the-box” exercise, and 36 per cent say their leaders view it as a personal issue, not a workplace concern.

“Postpandemic, things have only gotten worse because of the longer-term impacts of social isolation and loneliness people experienced — especially young people — and our studies find similar challenges in the U.S. and the U.K., so it is a global crisis,” says Wysa’s chief psychologist Smriti Joshi. “People spend a significant amount of their life at the workplace supporting [their employers’] organizational goals, so it should be a matter of concern for them as well.”

Ms. Joshi says that those organizations that fail to address employee mental health challenges effectively risk exacerbating the problem, especially in extreme situations. “[Workers] often feel unequipped to help colleagues experiencing crises, which can be very overwhelming,” she says. “It could even trigger their own sense of safety and sense of anxiety about what led this person to such actions, why wasn’t there any help available and what happens if I’m in a similar situation?”

According to the study, 25 per cent of employees have witnessed a manager ignore or fail to respond appropriately to a colleague showing signs of distress and 43 per cent feel their employer does not take proactive steps to address employee mental health needs. 

“I think they can be doing more, as you can see in the data, particularly around mental health and suicide,” says CAMH’s Dr. Ferguson. “The workplace has an obligation — not just a legal, but an ethical and moral obligation — to foster and accommodate mental health in the workplace, and I just don’t think that they’re doing enough.”

The Canadian Human Rights Commission , as well as provincial human rights codes, require employers to accommodate mental health related disabilities, but such requirements typically only apply to those who have been formally diagnosed.

Dr. Ferguson explains that even in workplaces where mental health resources are provided, there are numerous reasons why employees struggle to access them, ranging from awareness and education to stigma and shame. That is why she advocates for a more proactive approach.

“Even when we provide resources and accommodation around mental health in the workplace, [ask yourself] ‘how much are we doing around prevention, education and intervention?’” she says.

While such resources often come at a cost, failing to address mental health needs can ultimately result in a higher price tag in the long run. According to CAMH , mental illness costs the Canadian economy $50-billion a year in health care expenses, lost productivity, absenteeism and reductions in health-related quality of life.

Employers seeking guidance on their mental health programs can consult the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace . Dr. Ferguson also recommends taking proactive measures to reduce stigma and ensure easy access to care, establish peer-support groups, offer programs to identify and address workplace bullying, more flexible working hours and more employee training on the subject.

“Encouraging positive mental health and holistic wellbeing in the work environment can prevent things like depression, anxiety and suicidality, which results in turnover, disability, absenteeism and billions spent on disability, so it’s a worthwhile investment,” she says.

At StigmaZero , we are proud to offer an award-winning online training program which helps employers end the stigma of mental health and mental illness in their workplace. Doing so has many benefits, including improved retention, workplace morale, productivity, EAP usage and much more.

Our programs are not the only piece of the puzzle, however they are foundational to any effort implemented to improve employer response to this challenge.

"Simply put, until stigma has been eradicated, we will continue to see individuals hide their illness for fear of judgment and/or discrimination. When someone hides and tries to "soldier on" through the symptoms of, for example, clinical depression, they are at significantly more risk of dying by suicide. There is a reason we don't read about suicides resulting from a cancer diagnosis; instead, we read how - with significant support and zero stigma - the individual faces their illness head-on. With stigma removed from the equation, more people experiencing poor mental health will seek help sooner. This is a critical, literal life-and-death matter. The time to act is now." ~ Jason Finucan, Founder of StigmaZero

Visit www.stigmazero.com or send me a DM here on LinkedIn to learn how StigmaZero can be of help to you today.