WHY MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE? INTEGRATING MENTAL HEALTH INTO WORKSITE WELLNESS
WHY MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE?
INTEGRATING MENTAL HEALTH INTO WORKSITE WELLNESS
WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH?
Mental health…Involves the ability to function well and successfully
Includes mood and overall health/satisfaction with life
WHY DOES YOUR EMPLOYER CARE?Healthcare costsJob productivityOverall health effects
WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?Co-occurence with chronic diseasePersonal costsLife satisfaction
WHY
YOUR
EMPLOYE
R CARES
THREE IM
PORT
ANT REASONS
WHY YOUR EMPLOYER CARES: HEALTHCARE AND INSURANCE COSTSUntreated mental illness has high costs to
the employerHigh insurance costsLoss of job productivityAbsenteeism and presenteeism
WHY YOUR EMPLOYER CARES: PRODUCTIVITY
Work performance is negatively impacted
Lost days of work and productivityLess effective/invested presence at work
Distraction and inability to focusLess motivated
WHY YOUR EMPLOYER CARES: OVERALL HEALTH
Mental health involves overall wellness and physical health
Less likely to pursue healthy habitsHigh co-morbidity with chronic disease
Increased vulnerability to sickness and accidents
WHY
YOU C
ARE
THREE IM
PORT
ANT REASONS
WHY YOU CARE: CO-MORBIDITY AND CHRONIC DISEASEMental health is linked to
incidence of chronic diseaseMental illness can occur from developing a chronic disease
Mental illness can bring about the onset of chronic disease
Examples:Asthma, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc.
WHY YOU CARE: COSTS
Consequences of mental health include high personal costs of time and money
Decreased ability to concrete/accomplish tasks
Develop habits that negatively affect healthAffected by mental illness of other family members/in the home
WHY YOU CARE: LIFE SATISFACTION
Untreated mental illness impacts life satisfaction
Decreased enjoyment of activities, hobbies, etc.
Detachment from social relationshipsFeelings of unworthiness
Prolonged sadness, negative mood statesRecurrent thoughts of death
ASSESS YOURSELF
WHY?
AND H
OW?
ASSESSING YOUR MENTAL HEALTH:WHY SELF ASSESSMENT IS IMPORTANTUntreated and undiagnosed mental
health issues negatively affect:Your lifestyleYour job performance
Assess yourself to improve your life
ASSESSING YOUR MENTAL HEALTH:HOW TO SELF ASSESS Let the questions get you
thinking about the state of your mental health
You may want to start thinking about addressing some potential issues
ASSESSING YOUR MENTAL HEALTHSleep Patterns: Have your sleep patterns
changed, resulting in too much or too little sleep?
Do you have difficulty getting out of bed in the morning or falling asleep at night?
ASSESSING YOUR MENTAL HEALTHView of Yourself: Do you find yourself thinking
about your flaws and shortcomings?
Do you constantly think about mistakes that you’ve made and focus on your negative aspects?
ASSESSING YOUR MENTAL HEALTHInterest: Has your interest changed in
things that you once enjoyed doing?
Do you still find enjoyment in the activities and people in your life?
ASSESSING YOUR MENTAL HEALTHEnergy Level: Do you find yourself to be restless
and need to pace around? Do you feel as though you’ve slowed
down, feel flat or dull, and have difficulty getting through the day?
Does it take great effort to do even the simplest of things?
ASSESSING YOUR MENTAL HEALTHWeight: Have you experienced a
significant weight loss or gain? Lost or gained five pounds in the
last two weeks for reasons unexplained?
LEVELS OF MENTAL ILLNESS
Severity of diagnosis differs between individuals and mental health issues
DepressionAnxiety DisordersSubstance Abuse (alcohol, drugs, etc.)
AVAILABLE & EFFECTIVE TREATMENTDepending on severity, mental
health can be addressed with:Improved lifestyle/health habitsPhysical activityProfessional therapyMedicine
NEXT STE
PS…
MAINTA
ININ
G MENTA
L HEALT
H WELL
NESS
WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS?
How to maintain mental health wellness:
Introduce / increase physical activityPerform monthly self-checksSee a medical professional
HOW TO MAINTAIN MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESSIntroduce physical activityWalk, fins local trails/pathsTake physical activity breaks during the work day
Join a gymFind fun exercise classes/sporting activities
Play active games with the kids
HOW TO MAINTAIN MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS
Perform monthly self-checksSelf-assessmentsTrack moodNotice self-harming thoughts
HOW TO MAINTAIN MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS
See a medical professionalCounselingCognitive behavioral therapyMedication
RESOURCES
Loca
l men
tal h
ealth
suppor
t
2-1-1: www.211maine.org (Emergency help hotline)
Alternative Services Inc.: www.asi-ne.org (In home support)
Common Ties Mental Health: www.commonties.org
Constellations Health Services: www.yourwellbeing.org
Health Affiliates of Maine: healthaffiliatesmaine.com
NAMI Maine: www.namimaine.org
St. Mary’s: www.stmarysmaine.com/ Community Clinical Outpatient Counseling Services
Sweetser: www.sweetser.org
Tri-County Mental Health Services: www.tcmhs.org
Shanna RogersAdult Worksite & Wellness Coordinator
207-795-5927~ [email protected]