Looking after employee mental health
Oliver Harrison, founder and CEO of digital mental healthcare provider, Koa Health looks at how technology can be used to deliver better mental health to the media and advertising industry
The media and advertising industry has always faced rapid change but this has only accelerated in the last year. Not only are businesses feeling more pressure while working remotely, but the employees themselves are also under pressure to deliver creative work in a challenging environment.
With the rise in virtual working, it’s no surprise the impact that Covid-19 has had and is having on mental health.
Data suggests that the prevalence of mental disorders such as depression and anxiety have at least tripled so that one in three of us meet the threshold for a clinical diagnosis.
Some 25% of employees have expressly called for improved mental health benefits from their employer – and our research shows this is just the tip of the iceberg.
With remote working likely to be the new normal for many, plus the challenges of returning to “normal” after more than a year of social isolation, mental health of the workforce is a critical priority for business performance.
While some have found it a relief to give up the daily commute and work at their own pace, for others, long-term home-working can create feelings of loneliness, anxiety and burnout.
The culture changes caused by remote working also carry risks for businesses and the way they operate. Plus, getting back to face-to-face work won’t be easy – the commute on busy public transport, in-person meetings will all challenge our mental health.
While each sector will have its own battles, creative industries like media and advertising thrive on human contact and team-work. As such, it’s important that employees in this industry are not left behind when they are working remotely.
Crucially, we have to put mental health processes in place considering that many of our stress-busters – such as gym classes or meeting-up with friends – are simply not possible.
When it comes to the creative industry, the phrase “work hard, play hard” has enjoyed a great deal of mileage in the past. I’ve seen far too many headlines around the inevitability of creative burnout; it doesn’t have to be that way. It is avoidable and mental health should not be ignored.
There are many different ways to support an employee’s mental health. Chief among these, particularly when many are working remotely, is to simply encourage teams to take time off.
Studies show that time away from work is an integral part of mental wellbeing, so all staff should be maxing out their annual leave. We must also encourage staff to take regular breaks throughout the day and the working week, too; research shows us that teams should make time for a 15-minute break after every 90 minutes of work.
In addition to this and to combat isolation, some employers have introduced new ways to make virtual activities more engaging and have advised that staff bookend each day with a ‘virtual commute’, where employees can gently transition from their work-life to their home life and vice versa.
When it comes to long-lasting improvements in mental health, it’s crucial that leaders both champion wellbeing and lead by example.
As a psychiatrist, I know how hard it can be for many people to communicate their feelings, but personal communication by a leader can be a powerful way to create permission for others to admit challenges and seek help.
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No matter the power of these changes however, they cannot always support staff at an individual level.
Less face-to-face interaction makes it harder for leaders to have insight into the mental wellbeing of their teams. To achieve this, technology can play a vital role.
Through simple force of necessity, Covid-19 has prompted many people to explore the benefits of tele-health and digital therapeutics. The pandemic has led to a huge increase in health app downloads, particularly mental health apps, where downloads have increased 200%, as people struggle to cope during the crisis, according to research from the Organisation for the Review of Care and Health Applications.
Clinicians and the public have realised that digital solutions can deliver high-quality healthcare, with lower barriers to access, and significant benefits in cost and time effectiveness.
Over 1.25 million people requested that their prescription be sent electronically back in March, while registrations to use the NHS app increased by 111%. These figures clearly show that we are rapidly entering the digital health era.
Evidence-based and ethical digital solutions present the most accessible path to quality mental health care for creative workforces, meeting the increasing demand caused by the pandemic. The best technology solutions offer personalised care to each individual, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
Barriers to adoption do remain, however.
Apps won’t help support workplace mental health without the right culture and communications to support them.
Employers must ensure that awareness of resources is high among employees and encourage staff to try them out. Doing so will require clear, consistent, and ongoing communications about the importance of mental health and wellbeing and the role that the app can play in supporting it, ideally as part of a holistic package of support.
Again, such communication is much more powerful when championed by leaders who draw on their own personal experience.
The intensity and relentlessness of the past twelve months have truly accelerated the need for a fundamental shift in how we approach mental health in the workplace, particularly in the media and advertising industry.
Employers, regardless of company size or sector, must ensure that mental health is championed year-round and not on awareness days. Only by doing this can organisations improve their mental wellbeing.