The figures in this old article, that half of people wouldn’t be comfortable talking about mental health issues at work is worrying but not a surprise. i can’t help but wonder if much has changed since then. Despite living through a global pandemic and the additional stressors that has brought I can’t help but feel a bit cynical. Even with work on raising awareness of mental health issues by high profile individuals.
Too many people still struggle without adequate support because of the stigma and an idea that they shouldn’t need it. Or worse, that their issues aren’t as bad as other people so they don’t feel they justify getting help. There are also difficulties accessing support if someone is willing to go looking. Certainly within the UK waiting lists for the NHS are long. Workplaces do sometimes offer Employee Assistance Programmes but these can be very time limited. I am aware that accessing private practice and the costs involved aren’t within the reach of a lot of people. I will be adding more resources for people who need them but they do change so its harder to keep them up to date.
The bottom line is that anyone can find themselves in need of support, either through illness or events the life throws at them. It takes enormous courage to reach out and look for it.