While self-management strategies for mental health can empower plan members, plan sponsors also have a role to play in creating a work environment that’s conducive to mental wellness, said Simon Coulombe, professor of industrial relations at Laval University, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Mental Health Summit in June.
“We know part of the employer’s responsibility is working towards preventing different risks in the workplace that can actually [harm employees’] mental health. It’s important for employers first to set the stage by creating a strong foundation for mental health and self-management.”
A paper published in The Lancet Psychiatry that reviewed 56 studies found that supporting self-management improves workers’ well-being and productivity and supports employers’ bottom line.
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Self-management of mental health refers to the daily actions that people take to manage their mental-health symptoms — such as anxiety, depression or stress — and feel happy, satisfied and motivated. Also speaking during the session was Maude Villeneuve, coordinator of the relief research chair in mental health, self-management and work at Laval University, noting people who have previously experienced an anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder or serious burnout can use self-management techniques to prevent a relapse of those conditions.
While each plan member’s self-management tool kit looks a little different, the strategies fall into six categories: clinical, functional, existential, physical, social, and work strategies. Clinical strategies include consulting a mental-health professional, taking necessary medication and improving self-talk. Functional strategies include building healthy daytime routines, creating an optimal work station and scheduling work according to one’s capacities and most productive hours. Strategies at work include a healthy work-life balance, disconnecting from work during evenings and weekends and finding meaning in one’s role. The other categories cover techniques like eating and sleeping well, physical activity, engaging with one’s social network and participating in mindfulness activities.
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Although these strategies are valuable, they need to occur within a “shared responsibility model” that sees employers creating mental health-supportive workplaces in order for employees to see the most benefit, said Coloumbe, noting excessive workload, incivility and lack of training, equipment or support can erode employee well-being.
Plan sponsors can create a strong foundation by creating “clear and consistent” expectations for work tasks. Research has also demonstrated that stability, respect for diversity and human dignity, harassment policies and anti-stigma programs improve the work environment, support employees’ mental health and ensure they feel comfortable discussing any mental-health challenges with their managers. Given the importance of social support to mental health, he underlined the value of training and emotional support from colleagues or managers.
Leaders can also make a big difference by demonstrating their own mental-health self-management — such as setting boundaries around their downtime or letting people know they’re taking a mental-health walk at lunch, said Villeneuve.
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It’s also important that they encourage employees to take the day off if they’re not feeling well, given the correlation between feeling mentally unwell and poor job performance, added Coloumbe.
“It’s really important to have honest conversations about mental health to really make clear that it’s valued in the workplace and create a safe climate in which people feel comfortable coming to you about what they need.”
It’s important for employers to consider the limits of self-management, he said, adding neither leaders nor employees should feel obligated to talk about their mental health and have a right to their privacy. Employers also can’t help employees who don’t help themselves. “Self-management is a process and sometimes people may be at the beginning of the process.”
Read more coverage of the 2024 Mental Health Summit.