Staying Well at Work Practical steps for dealing with mental distress

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Staying Well at WorkPractical steps for dealing
with mental distress

• Susie Galley
• Occupational Therapist
• AMH PCt PCT

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Presentation will cover

• Background to the problem
• Practical steps an employer can take
• Further help available from outside organisations

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Background

• 3 in 10 employees will experience some kind of
  mental distress in any one year (a)
• 1 in 6 people will experience common mental
  health problems (such as anxiety, depression or
  stress) at any one time (b)
• Severe mental illness (such as schizophrenia and
  bi-polar disorder) is relatively uncommon,
  affecting 1 to 2 people in 100 (c)
• A total of 13.4 million working days were lost
  due to stress, depression and anxiety in 2001 (d)

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Why do we want to encourage job retention? (e)

• Work promotes recovery
• Work leads to better health
• Work minimises harmful effects of long term
  sickness absence
• Work reduces social exclusion and poverty
• Work improves quality of life and wellbeing

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What can you do as an employer?

• Talk to the individual but do not make
  assumptions (make use of supervision sessions)
• Discuss reasonable adjustments (under the
  Disability Discrimination Act)
• Discuss simple stress management techniques
• Use HSE guidelines on tackling stress and the
  Just Fight On toolkit on bullying and
  harassment
• Make use of Human Resources/ Occupational Health
  (case conferences) where available

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What help is available elsewhere?

• Accessing short term Cognitive Behavioural
  Therapy
• Referral/liaison with Occupational Health (if not
  available on site) collaborative working
• Use of Employee Assistance Programmes
• Use of social prescribing
• Access to Work funding
• Training on mental health awareness for all staff

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In conclusion

• Help can be quite simple
• Reasonable adjustments do not need to be
  complicated
• Further advice can be sought from outside
  agencies
• Collaborative working is the best way to
  facilitate job retention or a successful return
  to work

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Acknowledgements/References

• (a) Office National Statistics survey 1995
• (b) Singleton et al, 2001
• (c) Halliwell, Main and Richardson 2007
• (d) Health and Safety Expectative 2003
• (e) Waddell and Burton 2007
• The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health briefings
• Mindful Employer
• Healthy Minds At Work
• Just Fight On info_at_jfo.org.uk
• Health and Safety Executive

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Contact details

• Susie Galley, Senior Occupational Therapist
• Email susie.galley_at_ports.nhs.uk
• Telephone [phone]