If you think you’re getting stressed out at work, consider the other conditions you may be suffering from and how to deal with them, alongside your employer.

We all feel the pressure at times, whether it is deadlines, organisation or perhaps it is office relationships getting the better of you. Either way, you should be aware that we can have a tendency to point towards stress, rather than realising what else could be causing an issue for our mental health.

If you feel most under pressure while you’re at work, consider these various work-related stress conditions:

• Work related stress is the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them at work.
• Mental health is how we think, feel and behave.
• Common mental health problems are those that:
  • Are most frequent and more prevalent; and
  • Are successfully treated in primary care settings like GPs rather than by specialists such as psychiatrists
• Anxiety is an unpleasant feeling when you feel worried, uneasy or distressed about something that may or may not be about to happen. (NHS Direct)
• Depression is when you have feelings of extreme sadness, despair or inadequacy that last for a long time. (NHS Direct)

Common Mental Health Problems (CMHP) and Work-Related Stress

• DID YOU KNOW? 1 in 4 people in the UK will have a mental health problem at some point in their life.

Mental health problems are common and in 2014 a lot is being done to make them more “open” in the public sphere, with campaigns highlighting the importance of recognising various mental health issues.

Thankfully, most cases are mild and often short-term or treatable with relatively simple medication.

Typically speaking, work-related stress left untreated can lead to a CMHP, with symptoms of the two often overlapping: loss of appetite, fatigue and tearfulness.

Equally, the two are also very different; particularly in the way they are caused and treated. You and your managers – who have a legal obligation to deal with any issue causing you stress or unnecessary added pressure at work – should sit down and deal with what is bothering you and the best next steps for both of you.

Mental Health Problems

In practice, it is usually harder to define the lines between stress and a mental health problem and when the mental health problem is triggered by work-related stress. The difficulty in defining one or the other is down to similar symptoms that might otherwise just be caused by feeling under more pressure than normal.

The most common forms of clinically diagnosed mental health problems are depression and anxiety.

Mental Health Legislation

The main areas of legislation that relate to mental well-being in the workplace are:

• The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HASWA)
• Disability Discrimination Act 1995 & 2005 (DDA)
• Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA)
• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (1999)

Disability is defined by the DDA as: “A physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.”

In respect of people with mental health problems, employers should be aware that a person may be disabled even when this is not “obvious”.

Improving Mental Health and Staff Wellbeing in the Workplace

Communication really is key, as with all mental health problems. Managers, HR departments and external healthcare providers, i.e. Business Health Partners, are all encouraged to talk openly when a mental health issue becomes apparent.

If you are running a small business, you should make a clear effort to engage with your staff on a regular basis, so they know they can come to you if they need to speak about something.

One of the best ways you can prevent your workforce suffering from stress, is outlining clear lines of respect and dignity as well as clear procedures when it comes to bullying and harassment.

As a team, make an effort to communicate and bond “outside the workplace” if it is realistic to do this within your company, otherwise encourage staff to do the following:

1. Keep physically active
2. Eat well
3. Only drink in moderation
4. Value yourself and others
5. Talk about your feelings
6. Keep in touch with friends and family
7. Care for others
8. Get involved, make a contribution
9. Learn a new skill
10. Do something creative
11. Take a break
12. Ask for help

[Source: Reference: Making it Possible: Improving Mental Health and Well-being in England (CSIP 2005)]

Spotting the Signs of Mental Health Distress

There isn’t always a way to guess that somebody is suffering from some kind of mental health distress, but common signs can include:

• Changes in a person’s usual behaviour
• Poor performance
• Tiredness
• Increased sickness absence

You might notice that colleagues or staff colleagues might comment on an increased use of alcohol, drugs or smoking. A normally punctual employee might start turning up late or experience problems with colleagues.

Other signs, particularly if someone is depressed might be tearfulness, headaches, loss of humour and changes in emotional mood.

Tips for Opening Communications

Make it clear that anything said between the two of you will remain confidential and respect that it will be difficult for them to open up to someone in a position of power. Be realistic about the changes and support you can offer them. Remember: It is your responsibility under the Disability Discrimination Act to ensure that staff are not being bullied or harassed on account of a disability.

• Ask open questions about what is happening, how they are feeling, what the impact of the stress or mental health problem is and what solutions they think there might be
• How long have they felt this? Is this an ongoing issue or something that an immediate action could put right?
• Are there any problems outside work that they might like to talk about and/or it would be helpful for you to know about? (You should not put pressure on the person to reveal external problems)
• Are they aware of possible sources of support such as: relationship, bereavement counselling, drugs/alcohol services/advice, legal or financial advice?
• Are they aware of support that the organisation may provide such as reference to occupational health, counselling, Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), brief therapies, health checks?

Business Health Partners says…

It is never easy, no matter how skilled or experienced you are in dealing with a workforce, to approach staff about mental health issues, but it is a strong skill to identify when staff members seem to be becoming stressed and / or agitated.

Business Health Partners can spot the signs with our Health Surveillance programme as well as supporting employers who have staff dealing with mental health problems.

If you believe that mental health problems in your company could be better addressed or you require further guidance on this subject, you can always ask our team, who will be happy to help and give advice on what to do.

If you’d like to know more about the occupational health services, training and consultancy that we provide, why not call 07720 956789 or if you like what you hear, follow us at @BusinessHealth_.