Why Managers Need To Better Understand Mental Health Warnings From The National Institutes Of Health

Mass mental health woes including stress and anxiety are disabling the workforce, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and yet managers are still asking the same question they were three years ago: Are you okay? The even more annoying catchphrase ‘it’s okay not to be okay,’ has also become as ubiquitous as it is ineffective.

My question is, are you kidding? There’s got to be smarter way get inside the minds of employees, one that will reduce the financial and human toll of mental health issues, many of which begin or get worse when a work is too demanding. Common hurdles include inflexible managers, limited pay, or the most basic of habits, such as getting enough sleep, eating healthy and taking time to relax.

STARTLING STAT

In 2002, the Employee Outlook Index created by Gallup showed only 10% of employees said the cause of stress was their boss. This year, a Gallup poll attributed 70% of a team’s engagement variance to managers, or in plain language, managers have a huge effect on how engaged (productive, happy, present) employees are.

THE PROBLEM

I am not suggesting that managers become therapists or invest time in studying up on complex mental health issues. Quite the opposite. The idea that every manager is capable of showing some magical mix of compassion and compliance is unrealistic. Let that idea go and managers could start being straight-up problem solvers again. They have a lot to do already, such as:

· Making it easier to manage work and family

· Helping remote employees stay informed

· Finding safe, positive solutions to work overload or skeleton staffing

· Being intolerant of harassment

· Creating action plans for employees who feel overwhelmed

THE ADVICE

Here are a few new questions to use as thought-starters and resources for managers:

1. What Keeps You Up At Night?

I still remember the president of the company I worked for asking me at each quarterly meeting, What keeps you up at night? In a room full of executives short on time, it cut to the chase. He wanted to know what problems he could solve and how. The same could work for managers who could ask it of their team members. It’s less personal and more practical. Using it can lead a person down the path to clarifying steps of an action plan to be used to solve short term issues of stress. The goal is for mini-wins, not big mental overhauls. The question also promotes autonomy. There’s no better motivation, say experts who study self-determination theory. It also clarifies a managers role. Asking the question shows you want to help you solve a problem and make progress. Making progress ends frustration, which leads to satisfaction, and that can improve mental health.

RESOURCE: In a recent report by Korn Ferry, 66% said work stress has caused them to lose sleep. Managers top the list of stress monsters. Stress travels fast and far, so one way to help your employees? Managers need to manage their own stress. The National Alliance on Mental Illness offers education and a video resource library, part of which is called Self-Care University. They also have support groups you can find to learn more about specific mental illnesses.

2. Do You Need A More Flexible Schedule This Week?

Flip-flopping schedules can lead to productivity chaos. But why not try a short-term experiment for a week? That way, you can ease some of the burden on an employee who is feeling overwhelmed, and you won’t have a line down the hallway asking for a hybrid schedule. A temporary accommodation like a change in hours can help a colleague who is experiencing a medical issue but doesn’t want or need to fully disclose it immediately. If your question does lead to a more formal disclosure, that’s worthwhile, too.

RESOURCE: The Job Accommodations Network offers practical solutions for accommodations and examples of how people disclose their mental and physical health issues to their employers. Videos include helpful role-playing. In one example, a woman discloses a chronic medical condition and works through how to get her supervisor on board with a plan that will help her with her fatigue and flare-ups.

3. Is That A Good Idea?

When people are stretched for time and lack support, they often take a D.I.Y. approach. With so many of us searching for answers in the aisles of the supermarket or online, promoting health literacy can be lifesaving. To put it bluntly, you don’t know what you don’t know. Some popular supplements speed up or decrease the efficacy of medication. Other substances, such as St. John’s Wort, can cause harmful side effects for people taking anti-depressants. That’s the tip of the self-treatment iceberg. The aisles alongside the pharmacy where I got my flu shot the other day are lined with gummies that rivaled the candy counter up front. Be careful.

RESOURCE: The National Institutes of Health offers a free quiz on supplements. There is also a helpful guide to finding credible medical information online that you can pass on to employees. (Scroll to the bottom to find important links that question medical claims and bogus seals or awards that products out to make them seem more reputable.)

4. Are You Having Trouble Finding Medical Help That’s Right For You?

There is so much about cultural and economic issues that impact the health of employees and their families. If an employee has been disenfranchised and not managed their healthcare in the past, then they don’t feel a sense of control. There is evidence that stress management is a huge issue for people who can’t get assistance due to language barriers or a model of healthcare that doesn’t serve their community.

The work that managers can do to help identify social adversity that affects health is huge. And it does not have to be complicated. It starts with educating yourself on the inequities people face in finding mental health help.

RESOURCE: Be sensitive to the fact that many people need health information for themselves or their families in multiple languages. The National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies offer advice on mental health in multiple languages. If you work in a health setting, you can learn more about issues in communicating with diverse patients. These videocasts are focused on communication with diverse patients and also include health literacy topics and the role of implicit bias, all of which can affect access to mental health treatment and quality of care.

Note: This story does not cover serious medical illness (SMI). Serious medical illness is different than mental health in general. This difference is made clear here.