How to protect employees worldwide with uncertain mental health indicators

In the United States and around the world, employers do their best to follow Covid-19 public health data and make the best decisions about employees and how to protect them. But this data is only part of the story. To safely resume, stay open, or stay home, and eventually return to a “new” normal state, you need to monitor and make decisions based on your mental health needs.

The most effective mental health metric is continuous and how Labor is suffering Protest against racial justice and other disruptive events in the midst of Covid-19. Early research from World Health Organization, Kaiser Family Fund, And others have already shown immeasurable sacrifice to pandemic mental health. Employers can now play an important role in continuing to evaluate their mental health and ensuring that employees have access to the resources they need.

New workplace mental health project, Mental Health Index: US Worker EditionCo-sponsored by the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchasers and HR Policy Alliance and One Mind, created by Total Brain to help meet this need. Each month, this index presents the latest findings from a random sample of hundreds of American workers across topics such as risk of anxiety and depressive disorders, emotional awareness, and denial. As a result, a continuous and in-depth investigation will be conducted on how the impact on mental health changes and where the needs are greatest. For example, data released on July 17 show that the risk of depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress and general anxiety disorder among US employees increased by at least 40% each since February. I will. Interestingly, the reopening of some businesses in June seemed to provide some relief, especially for women, who were the most affected segment of the survey. However, due to nationwide infection rates and worsening cases, the numbers can be much worse before they are better.

Even if the numbers from June are encouraging, mental illness is an important concern for long-term economic recovery. Even before the pandemic Depression alone costs billions of dollars Productivity lost in the US each year. Without coordinated action from employers, the cost of mental illness could spike to unsustainable levels following Covid-19.

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Organizations can take three important steps to protect their workers from mental illness as well as the risk of infection.

Provide tools Employees assessing mental health

There are a wealth of employee mental health assessment tools and applications available. The employer only needs to decide which is best for the worker and which mental health indicators help guide the decision. The most effective tools are easy to use and understand, protect worker privacy and provide actionable findings and resources. However, providing or using tools is not enough. Organizations also need to engage leaders and managers to actively discuss the importance of mentor health, share their experiences, and encourage workers to harness their resources. The fear of stigma and discrimination does not go away easily. It requires a coordinated, long-term effort.

Ensure access to mental health resources

Once workers have assessed their mental health needs, they need access to resources, services and providers to meet those needs. Leading employers are stepping up to enhance these services in this area in light of the challenges of Covid-19. For example, EY Employees with free access to apps to build emotional resilience, one-on-one or group counseling, and daily drop-in sessions where employees can learn tips for managing anxiety, stress, and social isolation. To provide. Similarly, PwC The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers access to happy coaches to discuss stressors throughout the pandemic, while announcing a comprehensive one Tool kit To help leaders support their staff in a national emergency.

Continuously improve response with evolving resources and discussions

The year 2020 shows that stress, disruption of life and emotional tension can change suddenly, and the future remains uncertain. Employers cannot predict the progression of Covid-19 and other challenges, but may include national disasters, pandemics, or social movements – it can Establish infrastructure, tools and conversations to effectively address new mental health impacts, whatever comes next.

The mental health metric of the workforce is essential to set the path for the Covid-19 epidemic and beyond. Just as employers are at the heart of mitigating the spread of the virus, they can play an active role in understanding and responding to the evolving effects of mental health. This protects the lives and health of workers, speeds economic recovery and creates a lasting foundation for workplace mental health.