In the UK, every year one out of every four people experience at least one diagnosable mental health condition. Half of all mental health issues are present by age 14, and two-thirds are present by age 24.
Men under the age of 45 die most often from suicide, and men between the ages of 40 and 50 have the highest suicide rate in the UK. The construction business, which is mostly made up of men, has the highest suicide rate of any industry in the UK. Ten construction workers die suicide every week.
With everything that has taken place with the pandemic and lockdown, many of us will come out of this lockdown with lower levels of well-being and mental health, as well as some undiagnosed mental health conditions.
Mental Health First Aid training gives the average person the skills they need to help fill the huge gap between when someone gets sick and when they get the help they need. People tend to ignore their mental health because it’s not something we can see like being overweight or having a physical condition. Many don’t act on mental health issues and can live this way for decades, have a breakdown, or even die before they get help.
People who deal with their mental health in this way are not only unfair to themselves, but also to the people around them. People who do this expect other people to do the same and just get on with things. This can then make a person who is struggling feel guilty, which only adds to the shame around mental health. This is not only wrong, but also not fair!
Mental Health First Aid Courses are training programmes that teach regular people how to help someone experiencing poor mental health. It teaches a person how to have a supportive talk and how to point someone to professional help.
Most importantly, it teaches people how to look after their own mental health and wellbeing.
Benefits in the Workplace
There is now a mountain of evidence that shows how a mentally healthy workforce affects the bottom line, growth, and culture of a company. There’s no need to push that fact; organisations either get it or they don’t. In the UK, the choice to prioritise mental health at work and how to support it has already been made for us by the data we have.
Poor mental health has a cost to the economy of £105 billion in England and £10.8 billion in Scotland every year. 15.4 million working days were lost due to stress, depression, or anxiety at work.
57% of all working days lost in the workplace was due to mental health issues caused by stress, depression, or anxiety. The biggest cause of stress, depression, or anxiety at work was people’s “workload,” which accounted for 44% of all cases.
It’s hard to believe, but these numbers predate COVID19.
We are now presented with the most critical decision we will make in a generation when it comes to the working world. How we deal with mental health and well-being at work will determine where we are in the next 10 years.
Organisations that invest in mental health first aid training are showing that they care about their employees and are following the many laws that govern workplace health. They will reap the benefits of reduced absenteeism and employee turnover, enhance their reputation, enhance collaboration and productivity, and establish high morale.
Mental health first aid training in the workplace is helpful because it can help a company and its employees build a framework for health. Creating a culture where everyone feels welcome and both individuals and corporations do well.
This ensures the long-term viability of a business by fostering sustainability and a culture that serves as an example of responsible corporate behaviour.
Get in touch with us at Mental Health and Life and see how we can help your organisation to flourish!