In our society, the work you do says a lot about who you are. To be out of work can be
very hard on a person. It can also lead to a number of physical and mental health
problems, including:
- fatigue
- weight changes
- fainting spells
- sleeplessness
- shorter attention span
Also, when unemployment goes up, rates of spousal abuse, sexual assault, and child
abuse rise as well. At these times the mental health of those affected is under a lot of
pressure.
People with mental illness have an even harder time, since they are more likely to be
unemployed. A new approach to this problem has recently emerged. People who have had
mental illnesses are fully managing and staffing employment projects. These people find
that their mental health is greatly improved. What’s more, the work experience has
given them something meaningful to focus on.
Workplace health
Recent studies of Canadians in general show that working is linked with good mental
health. But the benefits of work can be offset by workplace stress. Since stressful
workplaces can have a serious impact on both physical and mental health, it is critical to
take steps towards making workplaces healthier.
One way to do this is to focus on individual workers’ mental health needs. For
example, employers can offer Employee Assistance Programs or stress reduction workshops.
It is even more important to make the entire workplace a healthier environment. Here are
some proven ways to create more mentally healthy workplaces:
- Give employees opportunities to have control over the organization.
- Give them more control over the design of their work.
- Make the job more flexible.
- Communicate clearly.
Your local CMHA branch can help with resources and maybe even workshops for enhancing
mental health at the workplace (see Question 10).
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