Mental health 'harder to discuss in the workplace'

Employees find it harder to tell their boss about any mental health issues they may have than about physical illnesses such as cancer, it has been revealed.

Returning to work, the role of depression by the Mental Health Foundation, discovered that this was a concern for 45 per cent of staff.

They were also less likely to receive counselling, stress management or reduced job tasks than those suffering from heart disease, Personnel Today reports.

Susan Scott-Parker, chief executive at the Employers' Forum on Disability, said: Best practice on mental health at work is often about common sense principles, such as mental health awareness training and using cost-free, good management techniques.

Many staff returning to work after a physical injury are at risk of depression, but fail to seek help from employers, the research also showed.

According to a spokesperson from ClickAJob, most managers can avoid such problems simply by being getting closer to staff and being aware of what is important to them.

It's not rocket science that staff perform better when they're at their best, he says.

Which makes allocating personal time to them and sharing the issues they face a lot more motivating than banging on about KPIs and targets.

People rise to new heights when they know they're wanted, he continues.

So a big chunk of good management should be showing them that they are.

Meanwhile, Workplace Law Network recently reported on the new Dementia Strategy published by the government which hopes to raise awareness of the illness in the workplace.