How the Mental Health Continuum Helps Leaders Support Their People
Leaders are the backbone of any organization. They drive their team towards success and foster a caring culture.
As a leader, caring for your people is one of the greatest things you can do to build a resilient workplace. It breaks down mental health stigma and delivers on the health and safety promise we all make to each other.
But how can you help? When should you say something? And what if you say the wrong thing?
Here is a true story:
Kathy was a sales trainer in a large technology company. She also lives with an eating disorder, which she had under control. Then Kathy started hearing rumours at work that there would be major cutbacks in the training department when the company moved to outsource training. That stress caused her to start focusing her energy on something she could control – her eating.
Susan was Kathy's boss and was responsible for the entire training department and was receiving orders to reduce headcount and find ways to do more with less. As a result, Susan was under a lot of stress.
In a department meeting, and without warning, Susan asked Kathy if she could take on a new project that would require learning a completely new technology, writing training for it and being ready to deliver in a few short weeks. That would have been a challenging task for anyone on the team. When Kathy said she wasn't sure she could do it, Susan would not consider anyone else for the project. Shortly after, Kathy ended up in the hospital (and Susan had inadvertently reduced the team headcount by one).
This is not an easy story to read. It's clear that Susan was under a lot of pressure. The question is: "Could she have handled this differently and achieved a better outcome?" The answer is yes.
"Managers usually know what to do and say when an employee suffers a broken leg or a heart attack. However, when the illness is depression, anxiety, panic attacks or post-traumatic stress syndrome – which together account for 95 percent of mental illness in the workplace – managers are often at a loss."
Judy Gerstel, Special to the Globe and Mail
Published | Oct 30, 2021
Leaders and managers need the skills to deal with challenging situations and balance their employees' well-being with the organization's priorities. Without those skills, they may be contributing to problems rather than solving them.
As a leader or manager, taking care of your mental health and that of your employees is crucial for the overall success of your organization. Understanding the Mental Health Continuum is an important step in achieving this goal.
One of the reasons leaders and employees don't talk about mental health and well-being is that they don't have the appropriate language. The Mental Health Continuum provides an easy way for us to talk about our state of mental well-being.
MHI’s Mental Health Continuum, adapted from the Department of National Defence, is a model that describes the varying levels of mental well-being, from healthy (optimal mental health) to serious mental illness.
It's important to note that mental health is not a fixed state; in other words, a person is not either mentally healthy or ill, rather, it is a spectrum that can change over time. This continuum can help leaders and managers better understand their own mental health, as well as the mental health of their employees and how to support them.
To briefly summarize each level,
Healthy (Green)
When you are in the healthy zone, you feel positive, energetic, and in control of your life. You have good relationships and can manage your stress levels.
Reacting (Yellow)
At this level, you may be in a state of stress or challenge, experiencing some difficulties but still able to function relatively well. You may feel nervous or overwhelmed but can still manage day-to-day tasks.
Injured (Orange)
This level describes a more severe state of mental health, where you may be experiencing significant stress or challenges affecting your daily life. You may have trouble sleeping, feel sadness and hopelessness and struggle to perform your daily tasks. Just like you wouldn't ignore a broken leg or uncontrolled diabetes, don't wait until you reach a critical stage of mental health to get help. If you are experiencing this state, please consider reaching out to a mental health professional to help you get back on track.
Ill (Red)
This level represents a critical state where you may be experiencing serious mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, or psychosis. At this stage, you may also be physically exhausted or unwell and unable to perform your daily duties.
If you are experiencing this state, it’s important to seek immediate help. Please reach out to a trusted friend, family member, or mental health professional for support as you can’t do this effectively alone. It's important to remember that seeking help is not a sign of weakness but rather a courageous and vital step toward better mental health. With the right support and treatment, individuals in the red zone of the mental health continuum can improve and regain their well-being.
To use the Mental Health Continuum, leaders should first educate themselves on the varying levels of mental well-being, including the warning signs of mental illness. This will help them recognize when employees may be struggling and how to provide the appropriate support.
In addition, leaders can use the Mental Health Continuum to create a caring culture within their organization. They can encourage open and honest discussions about mental health, provide helpful resources and support, and promote healthy habits and good self-care.
Imagine if everyone in your workplace had the same language and training to support one another when in the yellow, orange, and red zones. Concrete tools and techniques for caring for ourselves and supporting each other are provided via the WeCARE eLearning program.
By understanding the Mental Health Continuum and taking steps to support mental health in the workplace, leaders can also benefit themselves. By caring for their own mental health, leaders can be more effective in their roles and serve as a model for open communication to normalize mental health in the workplace, fostering a more positive and productive environment for all employees.
Click here to get a free download mental health continuum worksheet to help you learn how to recognize the impact stress has on you, your performance, and your employees.
Consider joining us for a WeCARE™ for Leaders workshop.
This interactive workshop delves into the contemporary challenges of the workplace, equipping attendees with tools to address their mental well-being while fostering a resilient environment for their teams. Through self-reflection, understanding the factors affecting mental health, and practical techniques for self-care, participants will be better prepared to support themselves and their colleagues in the ever-changing world of work.
Register here.
We’re here to help.
Leading your organization towards a mentally healthy and caring culture is a significant responsibility.
We know that every organization is unique. If, after reflecting on the five pivotal questions we shared, you identify areas where your organization might need more tailored guidance, don't hesitate to reach out.
We offer a complimentary consultation to discuss your organization's challenges and needs. Together, we'll explore how we can further support you in this critical undertaking. Let us partner with you in creating an environment where everyone thrives.