Properly addressing and respecting the mental health of employees can help companies to thrive while doing right by their staff. This was the powerful message from a clinical psychologist who spoke at the 2022 Gases and Welding Distributors Association (GAWDA) Annual Convention in San Diego last month.
Michaela Bucchianeri works as a researcher and educator about mental health. She began her presentation to a packed conference hall by spelling out just how many are suffering with mental health problems today in the US. One in five Americans have a mental health issue at any given moment, and almost one in two suffer with a diagnosable disorder at some point in their lives.
“And that figure does not even factor in those mental health concerns that are occurring below the level of a diagnosable disorder or in the context of a medical concern, like chronic pain. It is a gross underestimate, and it is still a lot of us,” said Bucchianeri.
With mental health among staff impacting every company, the good news, said Bucchianeri, is that it is entirely possible to cultivate a workplace culture that makes it easy for all of us to foster better mental health.
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