Who’s in the frontline of the ‘mental health pandemic’?

Who’s in the frontline of the ‘mental health pandemic’?

Office for National Statistics figures from June 2020 point to one in five UK adults (19%) experiencing some form of depression. This headline stat is double that of the typical figure recorded in the nine months leading up to the start of the Covid-19 lockdown in March.

The survey of more than 3,500 people also suggested that one in eight had developed “moderate to severe depressive symptoms” during the pandemic period. The biggest reason for the decline in wellbeing was flagged by participants as being feelings of stress in general – and, in particular, envy at how other people appeared to be faring better through the crisis than themselves.

Some employees have reported how being furloughed and working from home has led to a better work/life balance, a chance for a break and time for other people – but the ONS data suggest that just 3.5% of people have seen an improvement in their mental health as a result of the pandemic period.

Data from different sources in the UK and internationally about the impact on mental health has confirmed a landscape of widespread negative impacts and the makings of long-term issues. The issue is how employers and HR teams can best respond and prepare for the long haul of ensuring good employee wellbeing.

“Advice from the CIPD, for example, calls for a ‘ramping up’ of employer support for mental health. More support for people working from home and feeling cut off from day-to-day operations. A more charing culture. More understanding of individual personal circumstances,” said Eugene Farrell, EAPA chair.

“In other words, line managers being expected to take on the responsibility of ensuring good relationships, that staff facing complex bundles of problems at home and work are listened to, understood, given the right support. Even in normal times this could be a challenge for managers – now it’s nightmarish, having to balance the needs of the organisation with any number of individual situations, remote working, absence, presenteeism. It’s too much to expect from someone still expected to deliver on hard performance targets, who has their own pandemic worries to deal with.

“That’s why the independent expertise of an EAP is so important. People need someone always available to listen, to give professional advice and guidance. And someone who they can speak to anonymously. We know more employees are facing mental wellbeing challenges, but at a time when jobs are under threat, when employers need resilient, committed and reliable staff, how many of them really want to spell out the severity of their issues to their manager?”