What is this about?
This edition of Connections newsletter provides a important recent JOEM article that suggests a practical approach for examining an employer’s capability and efforts to provide mental health support for their employees. This article further highlights an extensive effort to develop evidence-based recommendations for employers in dealing with how they support the mental health needs of their employees. This issue is particularly timely and relevant because of the recognition of COVID-19 related anxiety, depression and social isolation effects associated with the recent pandemic. These evidence-based criteria are being developed for use in a national program of recognition awards for employers that seek to use “best practices” to help care for their employees’ mental health and mental well-being needs. A detailed table of suggested criteria is included in the article.
The 8 areas of recommended criteria for further refinement presented in the article include:
- Culture
- Robust Mental Health Benefits.
- Employer-Sponsored Mental Health Resources
- Workplace Policies and Practices
- Healthy Work Environment
- Leadership Support
- Outcomes Measurement
- Innovation
Why is this important?
This articles provides a blueprint for assessing the efforts of employers to protect and improve the mental health illness and well-being of their work force. It lays out possible criteria that can be used to score how an employer is doing in meeting the mental health and well-being needs of their population. This useful evidence-based typology provides an excellent starting point for examination of employer support for employee mental health and mental well-being practices. This article can help you address a growing concern of most senior management groups.
What can you do with this document?
- First, the article answers the question…”How can we improve our employee’s mental health and mental well-being?”
- skim the document for the major issues and the suggested criteria presented by the authors.
- Next, identify where and when this information should be used to educate volunteers, staff, employees and managers.
- Next, determine how adequate your current approach is to addressing employee mental health and mental well-being issues.
- Next, determine how you might enhance your employer’s or client’s approach to this issue.
- Finally, review your progress periodically in developing an enhanced practical approach to employee mental health and mental well-being.
In summary, this article provides a useful evidence-based framework for assessing your organizations’ efforts in meeting the mental health and mental well-being needs of your work force. This framework can be used to open up the organizational discussion on these issues.