In May 2019, the World Health Organisation (WHO) included “Burn-out” as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress. They call it an occupational phenomenon – not a diagnosis. That is a small mercy. In the ICD-11, “burn-out” it is characterised by: Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion Increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings […]
Rethinking Mental Health in the Workplace
Work-related mental health conditions are overtaking physical safety as a critical risk in the workplace. The World Health Organisation says anxiety and depression increased globally by 50% between 1990 and 2013 (Lancet, 2016). In May 2018, the American Psychiatric Association announced another 5% increase. Leaders are scrambling to address the issue but it is so […]
10 Steps to Mental Health First Aid
We are waking up to the suffering and cost of mental illness. The World Health Organisation estimates that 1 in 4 of us will suffer from mental illness at some point in our lives. Affecting 450 million people today it is the leading cause of illness. The cost to business is USD $1 trillion. Simple […]
Perspectives on Mental Well-being
In this series of interviews, Dr Sven Hansen and Sandy Hall explore mental health from a resilience perspective. 1. Introduction 2. How Resilience Fails 3. Depression 4. Challenges at the Workplace 5. Practical Example
Mental Health: a leader’s guide
Early thoughts on a new test of leadership The pressure is on for leaders to understand and manage the mental health risk. This complex topic will test our leadership skills. Three forces of change are driving this pressure and they are accelerating: Mental health problems are becoming much more common Health and Safety legislation clearly […]