We need a HR (Human Resources) revolution when dealing with mental health and well-being!

Our current HR approach to Mental Health and Wellbeing doesn’t work! If anything, it’s harmful!

Why is it harmful you may ask? It’s like ‘applying a sticking plaster with a hammer’.

It hurts like hell, and it doesn’t work!

Let me explain what the problem is, but I need to tell you a story first.

A middle manager is going through a tough time at work and at home. He’s struggling with his workload and staffing issues. At home, he’s struggling with his relationship. A lack of communication is cited by his partner. He meets with a member of the HR team to discuss difficulties at work. A referral is made to a Counsellor and he is advised to visit his GP. A sick note is issued. Then he goes home, away from some of the stresses of work.But now he’s also cut off from his colleagues and work friends. The meaning and purpose he also gained from the job he loved is removed and he starts to think “I’m on sick”. He thinks “I better look sick and not socialise in case people might think I’m not sick”. The worry increases. What follows is a series of further meetings with HR and the GP. The 2 weeks sick notes expand into a month’s sick note and a phased return to work is planned. He is in a bad place.

The workplace stress are external and relational in nature. This is quite often circumstances that would impact anyone in similar situation. Some people can be exposed to unreasonable stress within the workplace, then often  don’t receive adequate support, or understanding of the problems. Employees face. Then the workplace stress it is often viewed as the “individuals fault” or the employee “lacking resilience”

The solutions offered are superficial (focused on the individual rather than explore the wider context) and applied with a heavy (well meaning) hand. Like applying a sticking plaster with a hammer.

The issue is that we are dealing with mental health and well-being as if it is a physical illness. A sickness. Mental health and well-being are in the body, but different from a physical illness. We need to understand what it is, how to deal with psychological and social distress, and how we cultivate positive mental health.

HR requires a revolution. A new approach that can embrace the physical and emotional well-being as equals, but different in nature. A new dual approach “Embodied mental health” (EMH).

 The EMH allows us to fully engage with all aspects of a person’s mental health and Well-being. As all physical conditions have psychological elements. Just like all psychological distress also has a physical element. They are not identical, but similar in nature.

We can consider the mind and body within a broader psychosocial perspective. The EMH places the person at the centre of all care addressing the mind and the body. Each in a distinctive way.

The theories underpinning EMH are relational and social approaches to wellbeing. Positive well-being is an active and interactive process. We generate well-being through positive relationships and through mattering (adding and feeling valued).

Well-being is created by mattering: positive relationships where we feel valued and have opportunities to add value. Mattering is underpinned by fairness. When we want to create self-worth within a person, we need to address mattering. Not removing people from each other, but re- evaluating the workplace relationships, practices and exploring positive practices that can be enhanced. Mental health and well-being can only be understood in context, within a social and relationship perspective. If a person is experiencing emotional distress, it’s either caused by a lack of mattering and/or problems of living.If it’s in relation to HR problems at work then handling it as a condition that needs treatment is missing the point but applying a hammer blow to the individual!

Let’s return to the metaphor of the Plaster with a hammer.

What should be evident now is that “the plaster with a hammer” in practice looks like not knowing the real causes of negative well-being, quickly referring (closing the conversation and giving the illusion of understanding) and a GP seeing a person in distress then giving them a sick note. Now the person is cut off from support, Mattering and exploring the work-related aspects of the stress or difficulties. We have isolated and removed the person with the sickness. The problem is, they are not sick, they are under pressure and the body can exhibit this through psychological and/or physical ailments. The person needs compassion, curious conversation, and relational support. But we have hammered the response and removed them from the situation.

A new approach is required that has a structure that allows the physical and psychological support to be provided.

So, what is the root cause of HR problems with mental health and well- being? Well, it’s not fully understanding the problem and having a one- size-fits-all solution at hand.

 Making sense of provide training in:

      ◦     HR policy development and implementation       ◦     Building mental health creation practices       ◦     Village building: mattering

      ◦     Trauma-informed HR

      ◦     Psychosocial approaches to mental health       ◦     Triple i - mental health approach to working with emotional and psychological distress.