Two-thirds of employees report that they, or a work colleague, have experienced a mental health problem and 70% of line managers have managed a member of staff with a diagnosed or suspected problem, yet most line managers are ill-equipped to deal with them, according to a study by mind out for mental health and The Work Foundation.
Reassuringly, almost half of all employees said that they would go to their line manager if they were affected by mental health issues and 65% anticipated that their manager would be understanding. However, few employees thought that their managers would be able to provide practical support and only 2% thought they would have the knowledge and skills to handle the situation well.
The research also found that:
- over half of all line managers feel that they do not have adequate information available about how to manage people with mental health problems
- three-quarters of the 1500 respondents in the survey – 60% of whom were managers – report that their organisation does not have adequate policies or procedures to deal with mental health, or if they do, they do not know about them.
One manager who took part in the survey, said:
Commenting on the findings, Health Minister, Ms Rosie Winterton MP, said: “This research reveals that mental health issues are common in the workplace and that most people will turn to their line manager for practical support and understanding. However, there is a clear information gap amongst line managers about mental health.”
To address this issue, mind out for mental health, the Department of Health’s anti-stigma campaign, has launched The Line Managers’ Resource Pack – a practical guide to managing and supporting mental health in the workplace. For a free copy, mailto:mindout@codestorm.co.uk or call 0870 443 0930.
