It was heartwarming to see the numbers of people attending the City Mental Health Alliance (CMHA) annual event, Supporting Minds in the City, last week. To me this shows that companies really are taking the mental health of their employees seriously, not just paying lip service to it. But what struck me most was the almost tangible spirit of openness and optimism in the room: individuals seem more willing to share their own stories than they were even 12 months ago, while companies are much more proactive about supporting good mental health in the workplace and helping people who become ill. It is this two-pronged approach that is helping to remove the stigma that has been associated with mental illness for so long.
The tone for the evening was set by the impressive panel. Former Times journalist Rachel Kelly’s story of her own depression and how she manages it was truly inspirational, while Linklaters partner Jonathan de Lance-Holmes is testimony to the ability to return to, and be successful in, a high-pressure job after a period of depression and anxiety. Of course, what both these people share is not just the insight into how to manage their own mental health, but also the care from those around them – family, a few very good friends and, in Jonathan’s case at least, a supportive employer.
Victoria Quinlan, chief operating officer of Lendlease EMEA, a founder member of CMHA and our host for the evening, pointed out that organisations need resilient people who are motivated to go to work to do a good job. But what she finds heartening is not just the growing awareness in her company about mental health issues, but also people’s growing desire to understand how best to help those who are experiencing mental illness. CMHA has played no small part in fostering this new mindset, which is reflected at government level too: initiatives such as the cross-party campaign last year by MPs Norman Lamb and Andrew Mitchell, aimed at persuading ministers to give parity to physical and mental health, help to raise awareness.
Work is good for us. The third panellist, psychiatrist Dr Peter Byrne, of Homerton University Hospital, rued the fact that in the UK only around 12-18% of people with a severe mental health problem are at work. The traditional medical advice has been to ‘stay at home and take it easy’ because a job would be ‘too tough’. That’s terrible advice, said Peter, who pointed out that good work is a very important factor in an individual’s sense of wellbeing.
But this begs the question of what ‘good’ work is. The need to provide an environment that safeguards both physical and mental health is a given. However, one of the most insightful and challenging questions from the floor at our event was: “Is a 70-80-hour-a-week job compatible with good mental health?”
Because, of course, although companies are going to impressive lengths to create healthy workplaces (as was seen from the many case studies shared at the event), there is an argument that the way many jobs are designed is simply not conducive to good mental health – or good company health. Can someone who is habitually working 70 or 80 hours a week be effective, let alone stay healthy? It depends to some extent on the person – some people thrive on high levels of stress – and it depends to some extent on the nature or quality of the job. Jonathan argued that 70 ‘good hours’ is preferable to 35 ‘bad hours’, but the word ‘good’ implies the autonomy and enjoyment that are by no means the preserve of everyone. Peter recalled his days as a junior doctor, for example, as “a horrible time.” The key point here is that every individual’s response to different working conditions is unique and as employers we have a duty to recognise and support those employees who might be struggling with their mental health.
We hope that by bringing together more and more City businesses, by sharing best practice and by having honest conversations about what works (and what doesn’t!) to support good mental health in the workplace, eventually we will reach a place where employers and employees truly believe that there is no health without mental health.
Poppy Jaman, Programme Director, CMHA