Kevin Lindley, Safety Consultant, FRSA Self Insurer's Fund
Mental health and illness have become a hot topic in the media in recent years. Mental illness affects people in all stages of life: every race, ethnicity, industry, occupation and age. Many people recognize they are experiencing an overwhelming amount of anxiety or depression. Unlike other chronic conditions that typically do not become known to individuals until their 40’s or beyond, mental health concerns are common in many young adults and may last throughout their entire working career.
Many safety rules and topics taught at work should be observed at home also. While this statement holds true, so does the acknowledgment that our behavior at home affects our performance at work. Although work life and home life are most often two separate entities, actions in either will have a direct impact on the other. Mental health has a direct connection to productivity, injury, illness, health care expense as well as the overall morale of the worker and everyone around them.
It is estimated that 19 percent of American adults are experiencing some type of mental illness and 46 percent of full-time American workers are suffering from mental health issues, many of which go untreated. In 2021, mental illnesses such as depression were estimated to cost employers $51.5 billion in lost productivity according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.
“Increasingly, we are hearing from employers that mental illness is one of the leading causes of disability in their workplaces and we know that it is one of the most expensive,” stated L. Casey Chosewood, Director of the Office of Total Worker Health at NIOSH. “Mental
illness also tends to worsen other underlying conditions. For instance, if someone gets injured at work and they also have an underlying anxiety or depressive illness, their likelihood of returning to work quickly goes down significantly and the cost of recovery goes up. There is a growing evidence base that shows a connection between workplace stress and the development of depression and anxiety disorders.”
Chosewood also stated “Mental health is not a very well-studied area; we need a deeper understanding of all the underlying issues at play. What we do know is that workplace stress is often the result of noticeably clear hazards and harmful job demands like long work
hours, little autonomy or control by workers, inconsistent supervisory practices and a poor safety climate. These are all well-correlated with worker injury.” Even if no actual illness is diagnosed, it’s easy to imagine how a worker’s mental state might affect their ability
to make good decisions and recognize potential hazards on the job.
Many employers are taking aggressive action to ensure workers maintain healthy stress levels by raising worker awareness of mental health issues and the importance of caring for their own mental well-being. Companies are hosting expert-led talks or trainings, encouraging their workers to take their vacation time regularly, reminding workers to take regular breaks throughout the day and utilizing apps on cell phones such as Headspace or Apple Health. Some employers are obtaining healthier supervision, asserting more
realistic work demands, paying adequate attention to work hours and are providing resources to workers. Ultimately, the employee must find healthy ways to manage stress from both work and personal life. It is in the best interests of the employer to ensure employee stress is taken into consideration in all aspects of work.
The FRSA Self Insurer’s Fund (FRSA-SIF) has professional safety consultants throughout the state who provide SIF members with safety training at no additional cost. To find out if you qualify for FRSA-SIF membership, please contact us at 800-767-3772, ext. 206, or email alexis@frsasif.com. To learn more about the FRSA Self Insurers Fund, please visit www.frsasif.com.
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