Breaking mental health taboo

Bosses and employees in East Kilbride and Avondale are being urged to look out for the mental health of their colleagues in the new year.

Despite one-in-four Scots experiencing common mental health problems, in many workplaces it remains a taboo topic.

The Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC) and See Me have teamed up to offer advice on how business owners and managers can look out for their staff over the festive period.

With winter temperatures and long dark nights it is important that staff members take time to check on their other colleagues.

Christmas and the New Year can be some of the most stressful weeks for employees as they tie up work for the year.

Wendy Halliday, interim director at See Me – which aims to end mental health discrimination – said: “There’s a significant problem with people in Scotland not being able to speak openly about their mental health in the workplace, which can lead to people feeling like they’ve nowhere to go if they’re struggling.

“It’s really important that in all areas of our lives we’re able to say we’re not ok – especially in work.”

See Me encourages workplaces to have leadership role models who can talk openly about mental wellbeing issues, take part in learning events and lead sessions with other employees.

The campaign also encourages good internal communication and regular communications across multiple channels to raise awareness of available support.

All managers should also know what supportive conversations look like within their various roles.

Wendy added: “If you’re worried about someone, you can help by asking if they’re ok and showing you care.

“The fact that a tenth of people wouldn’t recommend someone for a job if they had a mental health problem shows the need for more education on mental health in work.”