Did you know that next week, 10th to 16th May, is Mental health Awareness Week, the UK’s national week to raise awareness of mental health?
The pandemic and lockdowns have had a negative impact on many people’s mental health, and we are seeing stories in the news everyday about the impact on schoolchildren, young people, older people, those working from home, those shielding, people living on their own or in flat – in fact anyone at all!
Anything you can do in the workplace to raise awareness about all aspects of mental health, provide help and advice and inspire action to promote the message of good mental health for all, must be a good thing!
Poor mental health costs UK employers up to £45 billion each year. But for every £1 spent by employers on mental health interventions, they get back £5 in reduced absence, presenteeism and staff turnover. (Deloitte, 2020)
All the major UK mental health organisations are running campaigns that you can get involved in next week with easy to download resources. Here are links to a selection of them:
Mental Health Awareness Week 2021
Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 | Mind
Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 – Mental Health UK (mentalhealth-uk.org)
At ProAktive we also offer the Mental Health First Aid England accredited training courses to equip your people with the knowledge and skills to manage health and wellbeing proactively, minimise the impact of mental ill-health on your business and your people, and promote and maintain healthy workplaces. If you would like more information on this course and our availability, please call us on 01302 341 344 and ask for Ann Granter or myself.
By Angela Stancer ACII – HR Manager