Video Summary
Nicole Cairns, Director of Health and Wellness at Thorpe Benefits, led a session on mental health strategies for organizations. She highlighted the increasing focus on mental health over the past three years and shared insights from client interviews. Key findings included HR professionals being overwhelmed, with 92% prioritizing employee well-being, 77% focusing on improved retention, and 62% on improved recruitment. Mental health and burnout were identified as the top well-being issues. Nicole emphasized the need for easily accessible mental health resources and strategies. The session aimed to provide understanding of factors affecting employee mental health, strategies for support, insights from other organizations, measurement tools, and marketplace offerings. Nicole presented statistics on mental health in Canada, including 1 in 5 living with mental health challenges, 1 in 3 at high risk, and over 50% experiencing burnout. She discussed the workplace impact, with 33% of Canadians citing workplace stress as their primary mental health issue. The importance of trust in the workplace was highlighted, with only 26% feeling consistently supported. Nicole outlined the 10 most important components of a mental health strategy, including establishing a company vision, forming a mental health committee, training leaders, and conducting assessments. She provided recommendations for organizations to start implementing mental health initiatives, emphasizing the need for a dedicated budget and integrated tools. The session concluded with an offer of a free live mental health session for clients and their employees.
Chapters
Introduction and context of mental health focus
Nicole Cairns introduced herself as the Director of Health and Wellness at Thorpe Benefits. She emphasized the increased focus on mental health over the past three years and shared insights from client interviews conducted earlier in the year.
Key findings from client interviews
Nicole presented key findings from client interviews, highlighting that HR professionals are often overwhelmed. She reported that 92% of respondents prioritized increased employee well-being, 77% focused on improved retention, and 62% on improved recruitment. Mental health and burnout were identified as the top well-being issues.
Session objectives and agenda
Nicole outlined the session’s objectives, including understanding factors affecting employee mental health, providing strategies and tools for implementation, sharing insights from other organizations, and exploring measurement tools and marketplace offerings.
State of mental health in Canada
Nicole presented recent statistics on mental health in Canada, including 1 in 5 living with mental health challenges, 1 in 3 at high risk of mental health issues, and over 50% of employees experiencing burnout. She also mentioned that 11 people per day in Canada die by suicide.
Workplace impact on mental health
Nicole discussed the relationship between workplace and mental health. She highlighted that low trust dramatically affects mental health, with only 26% feeling consistently supported by their organization. She reported that 33% of Canadians cite workplace stress as their primary cause of mental health issues.
Effectiveness of mental health support
Nicole presented data showing that effective health initiatives lead to higher revenue, more employee satisfaction, and decreased absenteeism. She emphasized the importance of implementing tangible and visible mental health support measures.
Factors affecting mental health
Nicole introduced Dr. Corey Keyes’ model showing that mental illness and mental health can be independent. She explained how stress, brain biology, and resilience affect mental health, highlighting areas negatively impacted by COVID-19.
National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace
Nicole introduced the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace, which identifies 13 psychosocial risk factors for creating psychologically safe and healthy environments. She mentioned resources available to support implementation of these standards.
Mental health support wheel
Nicole presented a mental health support wheel with 11 areas of opportunity for supporting wellbeing. She suggested using this wheel to rate, observe, plan, and think about mental health strategy in organizations.
Education and training
Nicole emphasized the importance of manager training in mental health support. She highlighted the need for education on burnout, DEI, and the benefits of having a mental fitness plan.
Reactive support and resources
Nicole discussed reactive support measures, including employee assistance plans, therapy coverage, and on-site therapists. She also mentioned the importance of having processes for employees on mental health leave.
Stigma reduction
Nicole addressed the ongoing issue of mental health stigma and suggested educating employees on mental health myths and using existing employees with lived experience to talk about mental health.
Measurement and assessment tools
Nicole discussed various measurement and assessment tools for mental health, including surveys, productivity tracking, and specific scales for burnout, stress, and happiness.
Culture and workplace environment
Nicole emphasized the importance of creating a culture supportive of mental health, including flexibility, appreciation, transparency, trust, manageable workload, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Ten most important components of a mental health strategy
Nicole outlined the ten most crucial components of a mental health strategy, including establishing a company vision, forming a mental health committee, training leaders, conducting assessments, and integrating tools regularly.
Current trends in organizational mental health support
Nicole shared current trends in mental health support among organizations, including increased paramedical coverage, EAP programs, and flexibility in work location and hours.
Recommendations for starting a mental health strategy
Nicole provided recommendations for organizations to start implementing mental health initiatives, emphasizing the need for a dedicated budget, manager training, and integrated tools.