The Top 5 Tips for Recognising Mental Health Issues in the Workplace

We can’t see Gravity.

We can’t see Time.

We can’t see Space.

We can’t see the roots of trees holding them up in a storm, but we know that they exist.

The same applies to mental health.

Mental Health Awareness – your Top 5 Tips to Recognise Mental Health Issues in the Workplace. Reading Time 5 Minutes

Like everything else, it is all around us. For many people, it is a part of everyday life that they carry inside their briefcases to work, or backpacks to school and even their suitcases on holiday. Like a physical illness, it is a part of them that will always remain and be considered a weakness, just as you would with a sprained ankle or stable heart condition.

But how do we recognise something that isn’t always visible?

How can we help our neighbours, colleagues, and friends when they are struggling with the overwhelming noise in their head?

There are so many different techniques that GPs and health professionals will frequently suggest we can do to be more empathetic and offer our support, but there is also a lot that we can learn and take away from specialised Mental Health Issues in the Workplace training.

We may know how to approach such delicate matters with our own close friends and family; but how would we feel if this was instead an acquaintance or colleague suffering from Mental Health Issues in the Workplace?

Is there a better and more proactive way at recognising strains of mental illness and combating difficult situations in the workplace for instance?

What we may feel confident with between friends differs completely to professional relationships, and so how do you establish that level of comfort and confidence when potentially faced with a predicament one day- and in the middle of a traumatic situation that you are not trained in diffusing:

It’s 10:15 am. You walk into use the toilet to hear a man sobbing in the next cubicle, which then progresses quickly into a panic attack. The mans breathing becomes short and fast and they are now sat on the floor in the cubicle.

What would you do?

The Top 5 Tips to Recognise Mental Health Issues in the Workplace:

Acas understands that in order to manage mental health issues within the workplace, that staff need to be aware of what trigger signs to look out for:

1. changes in usual behaviour, mood or how they interact with colleagues
2. changes in the standard of their work or focus on tasks
3. appearing tired, anxious or withdrawn and reduced interest in tasks they previously enjoyed
4. changes in appetite and/or increase in smoking and drinking
5. increase in sickness absence and/or turning up late to work.

Despite these signs, mental health issues are not always detectable via a ‘symptom’ or ‘change in behaviour’ and so managers should be attentive and ask how their staff are feeling and offer support if they feel it is necessary.

Here at SkillBase First Aid – we have expanded our knowledge further to provide you with the most up-to-date care, offering approved courses for Mental Health First Aid lead by confident professionals.

Our Mental Health First Aid Courses cover:

• An in depth understanding of mental health and the factors that can affect wellbeing
• Practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of mental health issues
• Confidence to step in, reassure and support a person in distress
• Enhanced interpersonal skills such as non-judgemental listening
• Knowledge to help someone recover their health by guiding them to further support – whether that’s self-help resources, through their employer, the NHS, or a mix

To us, being a superhero doesn’t just mean bandaging a sore, or knowing how to help someone experiencing a heart attack; it’s offering a helping hand to those who don’t know how to ask for it.

Call us today to learn more on 0330 335 1234 or click here to find out more about how Mental Health First Aid Courses can help you manage and spot Mental Health Issues in the Workplace.