Many great advances have been made in the field of medicine over the last hundred years or so, to the point where we are now able to cure or manage a wide variety of conditions that could once have proved fatal. Maintaining good physical health is consequently much easier for us now than it was for people a century ago. However, whilst we have also made great strides in the treatment of mental health conditions, much less attention has been focused on the illnesses that affect our minds rather than our bodies. As a result, many people try to ignore mental health issues instead of seeking out the treatment they need: an attitude we are working hard to change.

Why We Need to Raise Mental Health Awareness

Our mission to raise awareness of mental health conditions in the UK is motivated not just by our own experiences but by a genuine desire to ensure that everyone who experiences such conditions is able to access the help they need. There are many reasons that mental health should be taken more seriously than it currently is, by individuals, healthcare organisations, governments and employers.

• The High Number of Reported Cases – Roughly 15% of all reported illnesses are related to mental rather than physical conditions but the stigma attached to mental illness prevents many people from consulting a medical professional, which means the actual figure is likely to be considerably higher than this.
• Mental Health Issues Often Lead to Physical Illnesses – Conditions such as depression can lead to serious, even life-threatening physical illnesses, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
• The Cost to the Economy – It is estimated that mental health issues in the UK currently cost employers and the government nearly £120 billion every year. This is equal to 5% of the UK’s GDP and bearing in mind this is a conservative estimate, the actual cost is almost certainly much greater.
• Suicides – 46% of people who die by suicide have a recognised mental illness. As compassionate human beings, this fact alone should prompt us to take decisive action, sooner rather than later.

Whether you are an employer who would like to raise mental health awareness in your workforce or somebody who is concerned about the mental health of other family members, we can help. We offer a comprehensive range of mental health awareness courses in the UK. For more information, please feel free to call and speak to us now on 020 3984 9825.

The Workplace and the New Normal – There are no experts!

 So it seems, as described in my last article the Future of Work. The new normal when it comes to the working world, will be a hybrid one. Employers are now becoming more comfortable with the hybrid working system and are coming to terms with the benefits of it.

 Not to mention that if something like the pandemic was to happen again, we will be safe to carry on working, keep our jobs and keep the economy afloat. Hybrid working patterns can be considered a safety net and a risk management framework for organisations for a more secure and sustainable future!

Benefits in Everyday Life

In the UK, one in four adults experience at least one diagnosable mental health problem in any given year. 50% of all mental health problems are established by the age of 14 and two thirds by the age of 24.

This confirms that family and the home environment plays a huge role in the development of mental health issues. This also tells us that families and young people, are the most important parts of society we need to address mental health and wellbeing with.

Whether you represent an organisation consisting of a handful of people or thousands, it is important to have wellbeing policies in place. A lot of the time, especially in small organisations of 1-5 people, these polices may not be written on paper, but there will be activities staff will do together that have the same effect.

In small organisations especially those with a good chemistry, staff will meet up after work, perhaps go for a quick drink and talk about what’s going on at work and in their personal life with their colleagues.