Mental Health Support for 84%
A recent report revealed that 84% of US adults would currently benefit from mental health support. I’m surprised it’s not higher. The pandemic has created a worldwide trauma that is grounded in uncertainty, a condition that is extremely unpleasant for humans. We are collectively experiencing grief, anxiety, and isolation. Unemployment rates are as high as the Great Depression. The gratefully employed fear pay reduction, furloughs, layoffs, and being in the workplace. Physical safety guidelines continue to change. We are in a recession.
Convergence of Traumas
COVID-19 came on the heels of the Me Too movement in which sexual harassment and abuse against women was collectively called out. COVID-19 drew attention to systemic racial injustice, capitalized by the recorded murder of George Floyd. Black people have been navigating exhausting waves of racism for hundreds of years. As a nation, we are witnessing the tide crashing in from these waves of trauma. Organizations have been pressed to make statements acknowledging the SOS calls of these traumas. They are being held accountable to repair the damage and build a better future, for ALL.
More to Come
A pandemic, a recession, or a moral crisis alone could spur long-standing mental health effects. We are experiencing waves on four sides while heading into a divisive election. Our trauma is captured and played back to us by 24-hour news. Social media continues the commentary. The perfect recipe for re-traumatization.
Healing Requires Psychological Safety
If we are to heal and create a future for ALL, we need to talk about two polls. The first, 40% of employees report that their managers have not asked how they are doing. The second, 50% of employees don’t talk about mental health at work. They cite being uncomfortable or fearing consequences. The first poll may indicate managers don’t know what to say or they have concerns about how to respond. Maybe they haven’t dealt with their own feelings. The second poll indicates a lack of psychological safety, feeling safe to be one’s self, speaking up, asking for help, and offering ideas. Engagement is built upon psychological safety, and without it, we will come up with the same solutions that got us here in the first place.
Hope in Mental Health Informed Workplaces
Mental health has long been cited as a predictor of success. Leaders who recognize its application in organizations and create Mental Health Informed Workplaces will offer hope to those who have been waiting for more than just a public statement. Join me for my next blog on unpacking how leaders can support a Mental Health Informed Workplace.