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Investing in mental health is a priority
Good business decisions are driven by return on investment. But, it’s not a phrase we always associate with mental health in the workplace. This could be a missed opportunity.
Building resilient teams and preventing mental health problems can be helped by:
promoting workplace wellbeing
ensuring line-managers have the skills and resources to support employees
Timely and tailored support should be available when employees need it. It can minimise the negative impact poor mental health has on:
the business as a whole
individual employees
the teams they work with
Compelling
The business case is compelling. The Mental Health Foundation says addressing wellbeing at work increases productivity by as much as 12%.1
Deloitte is an accountancy and professional services firm. It estimates that every £1 employers invest in mental health will now deliver a return of £5. And this is likely to rise.2
Deloitte last calculated the return in 2017. They found every £1 invested in employee mental health returned £4.2
That same year, a study published in The Lancet had similar findings. They found investing in managers delivers even greater benefits. The study estimated a return on investment of £9.98 for every pound spent on mental health training for these important team members.3
The case for investment
Deloitte’s report Mental health and employers: Refreshing the case for investment identifies three key features of workplace programmes that will deliver significant returns:2
- A large‐scale culture change. Or, organisation‐wide initiatives supporting large numbers of employees.
- A focus on prevention and building employee resilience.
- Use of technology or diagnostics to provide tailored support for those most at risk.
Dr Sarah Griffiths, Lead Behavioural Insights Advisor at Bupa UK says,
“Mental health support needs to be embraced by the workplace, with health promotion, wellness, safety and company leadership integrated into other parts of the larger organisation.
“Employees are more likely to see available support as an option to them when workplace role models get involved personally to develop a work culture that is accepting and supportive of employees.”
She adds,
“There can be generational differences within the workforce and uptake of employee assistance programmes. For example, some studies suggest that millennial age workers may prefer tech-based solutions, such as support applications and digital self-help programmes.”
Dr Robin Clark, Medical Director of Bupa UK, says,
“Our wealth of resources, tools, line-manager training guides and other information, as well as Bupa’s Employee Assistance Programmes, will help organisations achieve all three of these goals.
Talent retention
“Investing in workplace wellbeing is not only the right thing to do ethically, it’s also the right thing to do for talent retention and productivity.”
Bupa data confirms the benefits of investing in early interventions for mental wellbeing in the workplace. Having an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) reduces mental health claims by 25%. This is because employees are able to access support when they need it.4
Depending on the condition and type of support employees access, in 56% of cases there is no need for a claim.4
Tools and support
There are easily accessible tools available. Tools can be used to improve mental health and provide evidence-based therapies. They include:
SilverCloud
This is an online self-help platform. It provides cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for a wide range of conditions including:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Substance abuse
Audits show that 65% of users achieve a clinically significant improvement. 80% show improvement in symptoms. 56% of users diagnosed with depression or anxiety are diagnosis-free after three months.5
JAAQ
This is a new mental health social media platform. It delivers advice and tips via engaging videos from mental health experts. It also features people with lived experiences of a wide range of mental health challenges.
Manager guides
These ensure line-managers have the skills and resources to support colleagues. They help to start a conversation when they see the early warning signs of poor mental health.
Digital interventions
Face-to-face counselling and therapy can be provided if it’s needed. But Dr Clark says many employees prefer the ease and anonymity of online and digital interventions.
He says,
“Many of these resources and tools help build mental health literacy and allow users to access evidence-based support whenever they need it, and at a time and place that works best for them.
“Line-manager guides also ensure that managers have the skills and resources to start a conversation and provide meaningful support for employees who are experiencing problems with their mental health.”
Meaningful changes
A 2022 review of the evidence found these digital and online technologies are:
“capable of producing meaningful changes in the lives of individuals struggling with various mental and behavioural health concerns”.6 Another review pointed out:
- Internet-based interventions,
- Blended-care models,
- And stepped-care models
provide mental health services “in a less stigmatising and easily accessible and flexible manner”. This is in contrast to conventional face-to-face therapy.7
It also warns that given the strong links between emotional and physical health, failing to provide effective mental health support “has serious ramifications”.
Mental stress
Failing to provide mental health support is a particularly high risk strategy. This is more important given the challenging times ahead.
The Deloitte report Mental health and employers: Refreshing the case for investment identifies...
“Rates of both leaveism and presenteeism are rising, and are closely linked to employee burnout, which can result in employers losing highly engaged talent.2
“On top of this, rising levels of personal debt have led to an increase in mental stress.”2
Dr Clark says,
“In this environment, no business can afford to ignore the importance of supporting the emotional wellbeing of employees and providing effective early intervention when mental health problems arise.”
Resources and guides
Mental health hub
Whether you have mental health cover with us or not, you can turn to Bupa for help. From individuals to businesses, mental health support at Bupa is open to everyone.
Manager’s guide: Opening up about mental health
Learn how to promote wellbeing and support your staff in the workplace.
1 Mental Health Foundation , date unknown.
2 Deloitte, 2020.
3 Workplace mental health training for managers and its effect on sick leave in employees: a cluster randomised controlled trial, 2017. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(17)30372-3
4 Understanding EAP Pathways, Bupa, 2021.
5 SilverCloud, date unknown.
6 An overview of and recommendations for more accessible digital mental health services, 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-021-00003-1
7 Mental Health Prevention and Promotion - A Narrative Review, 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.898009
