Keeping a job in today’s fast-paced working environment can be difficult for anyone. But it can be even worse for those who are struggling with serious mental health challenges. It’s important to discuss mental health in the workplace so we can recognise, and take into account, the challenges that people with serious mental illnesses experience. So how can we promote a more welcoming and encouraging work atmosphere for severe mental health challenges?
Understanding Severe Mental Health Issues in the Workplace
Severe mental health conditions refer to conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar illness, and severe anxiety disorders. They have a massive impact on a person’s daily life. We aren’t simply referring to occasional episodes of stress or unhappiness. We’re talking about symptoms that make it difficult for people to continue their regular daily activities.
According to Mind, a considerable proportion of the UK population—one in four—will suffer from a mental health issue each year, with severe conditions being experienced by many of them. This means that millions of people are juggling the demands of their jobs alongside their mental health at any one time.
Workplace Challenges
Stigma and Discrimination
One of the biggest challenges that people with serious mental health challenges face at work is stigma and discrimination. When coworkers misunderstand a person or their condition, it can cause isolation, unfair treatment, and even job loss due to prejudice. Because of this stigma, people are often less willing to share their problems or ask for help. This affects their performance at work and the likelihood of them staying at their job.
Symptoms and Their Significance
Prolonged mental health issues might have a significant impact on a person’s ability to perform at work. For example, people with bipolar disorder may experience mood swings that cause fluctuations in their productivity at work. Severe anxiety episodes can make it hard to concentrate and finish tasks. The symptoms people experience with severe mental health challenges can make it difficult to maintain consistent employment.
Side Effects of Medication
Medication is typically used by people with serious mental health problems to control their symptoms. But often, these drugs have side effects like weight gain, tiredness, or cognitive slowness. These can make it difficult to perform well at work. It is a delicate and constant endeavour to strike a balance between the necessity of medication and its effect on work performance.
Workplace Unpredictability
It’s common for people with serious mental health challenges to experience cycles of unemployment or frequent job changes. Reasons can include symptom flare-ups, a hospital stay, or the struggle to find a supportive work environment in the first place. Every job loss affects a person’s sense of stability and self-worth, which in turn can affect their performance going forward.
Workplace Culture and Support
For employees with serious mental health issues, it’s important they get the accommodations at work that they need. Simple changes like quiet workspaces, flexible scheduling, or longer breaks can have a big impact on a person’s capacity to do their job well.
Supportive Workplaces
Having a supportive work environment is important for everyone. When employers encourage honest discussions about mental health and provide accommodations and support, it promotes awareness and compassion among everyone.
While having serious mental health conditions makes retaining employment challenging, it is not impossible. We can positively impact people’s lives by being aware of the challenges they face and by creating an inclusive and supportive work environment for them. Employers need to collaborate and have systems in place that support employees with their mental health needs.
How Bridge Provides Employment Support
At Bridge, we believe returning to work is critical to the recovery process. For people in recovery from mental ill health, especially those with complex needs or a history of offending, support back to employment is essential to avoid the detrimental effects of remaining unemployed.
If you’d like to learn more about how Bridge supports people with mental health challenges to return to employment, contact us here.
Further Reading
Providing Employment Support For People With Mental Health Challenges
How Community Involvement and Social Connections Aid Mental Health Recovery
