Workplace mental health is a crucial aspect of overall health, and it is essential for companies to support employees’ mental health. It is equally important that employees take control over their own mental health journey. What seems confusing, however, is that it is not always easy to differentiate who is responsible for what part and why.
A good first step towards clarity is to understand the difference between individual mental health challenges and those related to teams or management.
In this blog post, we will explore the differences between the two types of issues, and provide tips for identifying the root cause of workplace mental health problems.
What are Individual Mental Health Problems?
Individual mental health problems are issues that are specific to an employee and do not necessarily relate to the work environment. An individual problem could be related to personal issues, such as financial difficulties, family problems, relationship challenges or grief. And it can also be related to an existing mental health condition such as anxiety, depression, behavioral issues and many more.
What makes things complicated is when the combination of physical challenges and a demanding job exacerbates an already existing mental health disposition, as seen in Senator John Fetterman’s case.
An individual problem typically manifests itself in a change of condition or behavior. Those trends can start very subtle, with a continuous increase of physical symptoms like headaches, tense muscles or digestive problems that initially can’t be distinguished from common symptoms everyone occasionally has.
The same is true for mood, motivation and engagement.
Everyone has a bad day once in a while, but when bad days increase over time, they can become a trend or even the new normal.
And once symptoms become more pronounced, they may lead to changes in behavior such as absenteeism, decreased productivity, or an increase in forgetfulness and errors.
To illustrate what that looks like in daily life, find two inclusive but not exhaustive lists of signs to look out for below.
8 Signs of Individual Mental Health Problems:
- Sporadic absenteeism or tardiness
- Decreased productivity
- Increased frequency of errors or mistakes
- Lack of motivation or engagement
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- Frequent tiredness and trouble relaxing
- Frequent withdrawal or feelings of sadness
- Hypersensitivity and feeling overwhelmed
What are Team or Management-Related Mental Health Problems?
Team or management-related mental health problems stem from the work environment and can affect multiple employees or even the entire organization. They can significantly impact workplace mental health and take many forms, such as a hostile work environment, toxic team dynamics, excessive workload, or poor management practices. These problems not only cause widespread stress, anxiety and frustration among employees, but ultimately may lead to decreased motivation and productivity, high turnover rates, increased burnout rates, and even legal issues.
Let’s have a look at the most common signs of team and management-related problems.
8 Signs of Team or Management-Related Mental Health Problems:
- General negativity, frustration or bad mood across multiple employees
- Consistent absenteeism or tardiness across multiple employees
- Decreased productivity across multiple employees
- Increased frequency of errors or mistakes across multiple employees
- High turnover or difficulty retaining employees
- Poor communication, lack of trust or respect among employees
- Frequent conflicts and low mood across multiple employees
- Complaints across multiple employees about:
- Micromanagement
- Unrealistic expectations
- Lack of support
- Inadequate training or resources
- Discrimination and harassment
- Lack of work-life balance
- Lack of recognition or appreciation
Why Context, Duration And Distribution Of Workplace Mental Health Symptoms Matter
Looking for signs and symptoms of workplace mental health issues is critical, but it is not enough to address the underlying problem fully. To gain a deeper understanding, it is essential to consider the context, duration, and distribution patterns of the symptoms to get important insights into whether the problem is an individual one or a team/management-related one.
- Symptoms are seen across multiple employees: If multiple employees are experiencing similar symptoms, such as increased stress, anxiety, and disengagement, it may be a sign that there is a team- or management-related issue. This can be especially true if the symptoms are not related to the job itself, but rather to how the job is being managed.
- Symptoms appear to be related to work environment: If the symptoms are primarily occurring at work, it may be a sign that the issue is related to the work environment or management. For example, if employees are experiencing high levels of stress or anxiety during specific tasks or interactions with management, it may indicate a team- or management-related issue.
- Symptoms are not related to specific tasks: If employees are experiencing symptoms that are not related to specific tasks, but rather their work environment, it may be a sign that the issue is team- or management-related. For example, if employees are experiencing stress and anxiety even when performing tasks they are experienced in, it may indicate a team- or management-related issue.
- Symptoms are more prevalent in certain departments or teams: If symptoms are more prevalent in certain departments or teams, it may be a sign that the issue is related to team or management dynamics. For example, if one department has high turnover, low morale, and increased absenteeism, it may indicate that there is an issue with management or team dynamics in that department.
- Symptoms persist even after changes in work tasks: If employees are experiencing symptoms even after changes in their work tasks, it may indicate that the issue is team- or management-related. For example, if an employee is moved to a different project or given different tasks, but still experiences high levels of stress and anxiety, it may indicate that the issue is related to team or management dynamics.
Why Understanding the Difference is Key for Workplace Mental Health
Identifying the root cause of workplace mental health problems is critical to providing the appropriate support and resources. If an employee is dealing with an individual mental health problem, the support they need is different from what is required if the issue is team or management-related. In the case of an individual problem, employers should provide support such as self-care apps, one-on-ones, employee assistance programs or access to mental health services.
In contrast, for team/management-related problems, the employer has to address the underlying issues of workplace mental health as soon as possible. For some teams this could mean restructuring workload or implementing better management practices, for others it could mean supporting team leadership with skill building, bringing in external expertise or improving workplace culture, etc.
A toxic work environment can cause a significant decrease in productivity, employee engagement, and an increase in absenteeism, ultimately affecting the company’s bottom line. Therefore, addressing these issues is not only the right thing to do for the employees’ well-being but also for the organization’s long term success.
Moreover, tackling team and management-related problems at the source helps improve the work environment for all employees, leading to higher mental readiness, better workplace mental health and more sustainable overall wellbeing.
How Can You Get Started In Your Company?
Learning to tell the difference between individual mental health problems and team or management-related issues requires careful observation and understanding of the context of the problem.
Addressing workplace mental health problems requires a collective effort from both management and employees to create a healthy work environment and promote positive team dynamics.
Some ways you can learn to differentiate between the two include:
- Measuring employee mental health continuously
- Looking for patterns in employee behavior
- Conducting a needs assessment
- Seeking input from colleagues
- Encouraging open communication
- Offering support and validation regardless of the cause
What Can Employers Do To Address Workplace Mental Health?
Employers typically know that they have a responsibility to support their employees’ mental health and wellbeing. Some things they can do to address workplace mental health issues include:
- Providing analytics to track employee mental health and identify trends and patterns
- Measuring mental readiness continuously, rather than running annual surveys
- Conducting a needs assessment to identify team or management-related mental health issues
- Providing access to mental health resources and services
- Offering communication tools for employees to communicate with management about mental health issues
- Offering training to help managers and HR personnel recognize the signs of mental health issues and learn how to support employees
How Can Tech Support Workplace Mental Health Holistically?
A tech solution that addresses mental health issues in the workplace needs to provide support for both employees and employers. Look for solutions that offer features such as anonymous self-check-ins and data-driven assessments, easy access to mental health resources, intuitive communication tools, peer support opportunities, and progress tracking for employees.
On the employer side, look for solutions that offer a safe way to measure workplace mental health, tools to assess needs, comprehensible analytics, an employee wellbeing dashboard, and mental health training for managers and HR personnel.
Earkick is a full-fledged, data-driven solution that addresses workplace mental health from both an individual as well as a company perspective.
It measures mental health of individuals and the mental readiness of teams within organizations in real time. Based on that real-life data, Earkick’s algorithms offer personalized in-the-moment suggestions on employees, teams and enterprise level.
Ready to get started? Download the Earkick app or get in touch.