More and more people recognise the importance of mental health in our daily lives. The topic has become more openly discussed among employees and employers since various studies have shown a link between mental health and productivity. Employees are looking for different ideas and programs to support workplace mental wellbeing. In this article, you will learn how mental health employee training can improve the wellbeing of your staff.
What is Mental Health Employee Training?
The mental health training program teaches employees how to recognise and engage in mental wellbeing. The training aims to raise awareness about different mental illnesses, normalise the conversation about mental health and help employees be more open about this topic. Additionally, training can provide information about the resources that companies offer to their employees for mental health.
Why is Mental Health Training Important?
It is not easy to observe and recognise mental health issues, especially in the workplace. Through mental health employee training companies can teach staff members to learn how to recognise when they experience mental health difficulties. Additionally, through training employees can make it clear that mental wellbeing is a priority and they will support their employers when dealing with mental health issues.
Furthermore, nowadays the majority of mental health training programs are designed for managers and HR staff which makes it even more important to conduct training sessions for employees. Managers cannot do much if their team members are not willing to communicate about mental wellbeing.
Overall, training makes it easier for both employees and employers to communicate about this crucial issue. Be more open and understanding which eventually leads to a healthier work environment and better performance.
Mental Health Employee Training Ideas
Here are some mental health employee training ideas that will improve mental wellbeing in the workplace and encourage effective communication about mental health.
1. Training for fighting the stigma around mental health
Addressing the stigma and shame over mental health is a good topic for training. Additionally, it is a good start for the execution of an extensive mental well-being strategy.
The goal of this training is to destigmatize mental illness in the workplace. Furthermore, it gives employees the means to address mental health issues at work. The training aims to show support to the employees and encourage them to speak up about mental health challenges they experience.
Companies such as Deloitte and Delta Air Lines have launched similar programs and training to improve mental wellbeing in the workplace and encourage an environment in which people can freely discuss mental health issues.
2. Daily stress reduction training
Most employees experience workplace stress and addressing that can be very beneficial for creating a better work environment as well as improving productivity. Through stress reduction training you can teach your employees techniques to reduce the stress they experience on a daily basis. This might include a range of topics from conflict management to improving physical wellbeing that can reduce stress. Since stress is often related to an unhealthy lifestyle you could teach your employees about nutrition and support them to increase physical activity throughout the day.
3. Work-Life Balance training
A lot of employers have found that staff members with work-life imbalance experience more issues with mental wellbeing. It increases stress and anxiety which greatly affects performance and productivity. Hence, training about balancing professional and personal life can be a great addition to your mental health employee training cycle.
4. Conflict management training
Workplace mental health issues are highly correlated with management and peer-to-peer conflicts. Giving your employees the means to better deal with conflicts can improve workplace mental health drastically. Within this training, you can teach employees how to communicate their problems more clearly with one another and with management, how to support peers with mental health challenges, and solve conflicts to encourage a healthier workplace environment.
5. Anxiety awareness training
Mental health employee training about anxiety can be very beneficial in the workplace. Anxiety as a disorder is very tricky to notice and address. Very often people mistake it for nervousness and temporary stress. Therefore, talking about anxiety disorder can help your employees recognise the illness and address it properly.
6. Training for Trauma and Crisis Management
Certain jobs are highly connected with daily trauma and crisis. Hence, it is important to provide relevant training for your employees. Teaching employees how to deal with trauma and crisis is very important because in addition to mental illness trauma can have a very negative impact on the company’s performance. Not addressing trauma and crisis can lead to poor performance, absenteeism, and even quitting. If you are working with teachers, first responders, and healthcare providers, implement trauma management training.
Keep in mind that the training should correspond to your goals, your staff’s needs, and motivations. Therefore, conduct quality research about mental health conditions within your company before you start training. This way you can avoid having ineffective training and wasting resources. When training is designed for specific situations and addresses particular problems, they become more efficient.
Benefits of Mental Health Employee Training
Mental health training can have a lot of advantages, the most important ones include:
- Reducing stigma over mental illness
- Increasing understanding of how mental health can affect workplace performance
- Encouraging conversation about mental wellbeing
- Contributing to recognising signs of mental illness
How to Choose Mental Health Employee Training?
Before proceeding with mental health training, it is important to choose the right strategy. Mental health training will not be efficient by default. If you want to improve workplace mental wellbeing it is essential to provide training that is relevant to existing problems and challenges.
It is challenging to determine mental wellbeing conditions within a company. Because of the stigma, a lot of people do not feel comfortable sharing their true feelings and experiences with mental illness. Therefore, you may not get accurate information about the needs of your staff. However, there are certain steps you could take to choose the right mental health training.
- Set clear mental wellbeing goals
- Conduct research to determine the most pressing mental health issues. You can use an anonymous questionnaire for this purpose.
- Determine the budget for the training
- Choose the target group for mental health training
- Determine who will conduct the training
- Consult the training providers
Besides mental health training, therapy is another great tool to provide to your employees. With SupportRoom, therapy is more accessible than ever. Get in touch with us and let us improve the well-being of your organisation.
