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UPFRONT
CANADIAN EMPLOYEES REPORT
WORKPLACE STRESS AS PRIMARY CAUSE
OF MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS
Mental health issues in the workplace are among the top concerns
for organizations of all sizes. According to the Mental Health
Commission of Canada (MHCC), one in five Canadians expe-rience
a mental health problem or illness each year, equating to
500,000 employees unable to work every week due to mental
health problems or illnesses. Seeking to understand how the daily
experience of employees impacts the workplace, Morneau Shepell
partnered with the Globe and Mail to create the “mental health
experience in Canada’s workplaces” survey.
Understanding mental health, mental illness and their impacts in
the workplace, outlines a key finding that Canadian employees
report workplace stress as the primary cause of their mental health
problems or illness, with depression and anxiety noted as the top
two issues. The joint white paper explains the impact of mental
health issues on job performance, core coping strategies being used
by employees and the actions that organizations can take to bet-ter
support employees.
THE MENTAL HEALTH SPECTRUM
Mental health concerns can impact anyone at any time. In their
workplace lifecycle, employees move back and forth along a men-tal
health spectrum through seven categories, including “healthy
in work” and “in work struggling.” The white paper explains that
there has been a shift in how workplaces understand mental
health problems and illnesses, which extend beyond affecting only
those under distress to affecting everyone across the organization.
“Mental health is not binary – in that people either have issues
or not; it lies along a continuum and can change depending on
the challenges we face,” said Dr. Bill Howatt, chief research and
development officer, workforce productivity, Morneau Shepell.
“It’s critical that employers consider the mental health of the
entire workforce and develop a strategy that addresses all levels
of mental health programming, including preventative measures
to keep employees healthy, early intervention to navigate through
MENTAL HEALTH IS NOT
BINARY – IN THAT PEOPLE
EITHER HAVE ISSUES OR
NOT; IT LIES ALONG A
CONTINUUM AND CAN
CHANGE DEPENDING ON
THE CHALLENGES WE FACE.
– DR. BILL HOWATT, MORNEAU SHEPELL
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HRPROFESSIONALNOW.CA ❚ AUGUST 2018 ❚ 7
/key finding
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