WHY MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE?

INTEGRATING MENTAL HEALTH INTO WORKSITE WELLNESS

WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH?

Mental health…Involves the ability to function well and successfully

Includes mood and overall health/satisfaction with life

WHY DOES YOUR EMPLOYER CARE?Healthcare costsJob productivityOverall health effects

WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?Co-occurence with chronic diseasePersonal costsLife satisfaction

WHY

YOUR

EMPLOYE

R CARES

THREE IM

PORT

ANT REASONS

WHY YOUR EMPLOYER CARES: HEALTHCARE AND INSURANCE COSTSUntreated mental illness has high costs to

the employerHigh insurance costsLoss of job productivityAbsenteeism and presenteeism

WHY YOUR EMPLOYER CARES: PRODUCTIVITY

Work performance is negatively impacted

Lost days of work and productivityLess effective/invested presence at work

Distraction and inability to focusLess motivated

WHY YOUR EMPLOYER CARES: OVERALL HEALTH

Mental health involves overall wellness and physical health

Less likely to pursue healthy habitsHigh co-morbidity with chronic disease

Increased vulnerability to sickness and accidents

WHY

YOU C

ARE

THREE IM

PORT

ANT REASONS

WHY YOU CARE: CO-MORBIDITY AND CHRONIC DISEASEMental health is linked to

incidence of chronic diseaseMental illness can occur from developing a chronic disease

Mental illness can bring about the onset of chronic disease

Examples:Asthma, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc.

WHY YOU CARE: COSTS

Consequences of mental health include high personal costs of time and money

Decreased ability to concrete/accomplish tasks

Develop habits that negatively affect healthAffected by mental illness of other family members/in the home

WHY YOU CARE: LIFE SATISFACTION

Untreated mental illness impacts life satisfaction

Decreased enjoyment of activities, hobbies, etc.

Detachment from social relationshipsFeelings of unworthiness

Prolonged sadness, negative mood statesRecurrent thoughts of death

ASSESS YOURSELF

WHY?

AND H

OW?

ASSESSING YOUR MENTAL HEALTH:WHY SELF ASSESSMENT IS IMPORTANTUntreated and undiagnosed mental

health issues negatively affect:Your lifestyleYour job performance

Assess yourself to improve your life

ASSESSING YOUR MENTAL HEALTH:HOW TO SELF ASSESS Let the questions get you

thinking about the state of your mental health

You may want to start thinking about addressing some potential issues

ASSESSING YOUR MENTAL HEALTHSleep Patterns: Have your sleep patterns

changed, resulting in too much or too little sleep?

Do you have difficulty getting out of bed in the morning or falling asleep at night?

ASSESSING YOUR MENTAL HEALTHView of Yourself: Do you find yourself thinking

about your flaws and shortcomings?

Do you constantly think about mistakes that you’ve made and focus on your negative aspects?

ASSESSING YOUR MENTAL HEALTHInterest: Has your interest changed in

things that you once enjoyed doing?

Do you still find enjoyment in the activities and people in your life?

ASSESSING YOUR MENTAL HEALTHEnergy Level: Do you find yourself to be restless

and need to pace around? Do you feel as though you’ve slowed

down, feel flat or dull, and have difficulty getting through the day?

Does it take great effort to do even the simplest of things?

ASSESSING YOUR MENTAL HEALTHWeight: Have you experienced a

significant weight loss or gain? Lost or gained five pounds in the

last two weeks for reasons unexplained?

LEVELS OF MENTAL ILLNESS

Severity of diagnosis differs between individuals and mental health issues

DepressionAnxiety DisordersSubstance Abuse (alcohol, drugs, etc.)

AVAILABLE & EFFECTIVE TREATMENTDepending on severity, mental

health can be addressed with:Improved lifestyle/health habitsPhysical activityProfessional therapyMedicine

NEXT STE

PS…

MAINTA

ININ

G MENTA

L HEALT

H WELL

NESS

WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS?

How to maintain mental health wellness:

Introduce / increase physical activityPerform monthly self-checksSee a medical professional

HOW TO MAINTAIN MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESSIntroduce physical activityWalk, fins local trails/pathsTake physical activity breaks during the work day

Join a gymFind fun exercise classes/sporting activities

Play active games with the kids

HOW TO MAINTAIN MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS

Perform monthly self-checksSelf-assessmentsTrack moodNotice self-harming thoughts

HOW TO MAINTAIN MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS

See a medical professionalCounselingCognitive behavioral therapyMedication

RESOURCES

Loca

l men

tal h

ealth

suppor

t

2-1-1: www.211maine.org (Emergency help hotline)

Alternative Services Inc.: www.asi-ne.org (In home support)

Common Ties Mental Health: www.commonties.org

Constellations Health Services: www.yourwellbeing.org

Health Affiliates of Maine: healthaffiliatesmaine.com

NAMI Maine: www.namimaine.org

St. Mary’s: www.stmarysmaine.com/ Community Clinical Outpatient Counseling Services

Sweetser: www.sweetser.org

Tri-County Mental Health Services: www.tcmhs.org

Shanna RogersAdult Worksite & Wellness Coordinator

207-795-5927~ rogerssh@cmhc.org