May is recognized as Mental Health Month – which couldn’t be more timely, as our teams are currently tasked with balancing Work, Love, & Play during these unprecedented circumstances. Mental Health Month started over 70 years ago and has been vital in bringing awareness to the millions of people suffering in silence due to mental illness. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness nearly 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. live with a mental health condition. Unfortunately, the average time between symptoms beginning and treatment is 11 years. The delay is due to many factors, including social stigma towards mental health that ultimately prevents individuals from seeking the care they need.
ABD is committed to normalizing mental health in the workplace. Whether it is mild stress or depression, mental health is directly tied to an employee’s ability to be present and productive at work. In fact, depression is estimated to cost employers over $44 billion each year due to absenteeism and presenteeism, an expense that can be reduced through health promotion programs and treatment. If employees are not well and feel unsupported when it comes to managing mental health symptoms, everyone suffers. We want to raise awareness around mental health issues impacting our team to elevate mental wellness, reduce employee stress, and create mental health support systems within the workplace. Our goal is simple: minimize burnout and build resiliency while continuing to navigate the stressors of life – especially during a global pandemic.
For Mental Health Month at ABD, we are sharing with our team various ways to cope during COVID-19. This includes weekly mental health Monday topics, educational webinars and practical sessions focused on mindfulness, and more. Employees are navigating virtual meeting fatigue, social isolation, caregiving responsibilities, heightened stress, and anxiety due to the constant change and uncertainty of COVID-19. These are just a few reasons why it is important to have conversations that acknowledge mental health as real. Discussing mental health destigmatizes mental illness. We encourage you to join us in championing Mental Health Month and supporting employees to live happy and healthy lives.
In the comments, share how you’re advocating for mental wellness and reach out to The ABD team if you need wellbeing resources to support your team during this time.
Powerful tools for raising public awareness provided by National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI):
Download the Warning Signs of Mental Illness
Download You Are Not Alone infographic
Additional Reading:
- Mental Health Month Toolkit
- Mental Health by the Numbers
- Mental Health in the Workplace
- Tips for Employers
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) at any time for help.
