EXPANDING THE FOUNDATION OF WORKSITE HEALTH PROGRAMS

EXPANDING THE FOUNDATION OF WORKSITE HEALTH PROGRAMS:

AN INTRODUCTION TO WORKSITE MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION

William McPeck, MSW, CWWPC

Information Integration Manager

Viridian Health Management

Presentation Objectives

At the conclusion of this program, attendees will be able to: • Define workplace mental health promotion

• Describe the concepts and framework of workplace mental health promotion

• Discuss how they might incorporate workplace mental health promotion into their current worksite wellness program

©2012, William McPeck. All rights reserved

Why Workplace Mental Health Promotion

• Wellness Models

• Employee Engagement

• Employee Well-being

• Impact on the Bottom Line

• Comorbidity


Comparing WHP and WMHP

Comprehensive Worksite Health Promotion -

A comprehensive and continuous worksite approach to protecting and promoting employee health that incorporates personal empowerment, personal growth and environmental improvement.

Comprehensive Worksite Mental Health Promotion –

A comprehensive and continuous worksite approach to developing positive employee mental health by recognizing that employee mental health is linked to social relationships, environmental and lifestyle factors and the degree of power, control and influence the employees can exert over their lives.


Focus of WMHP

The focus of WMHP is the promotion of:

–Positive Mental Health

–Mental Well-being for all employees

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Mentally Healthy Workplaces

Mentally healthy workplaces promote positive mental health and mental well-being.

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Basic Definitions

Flourishing – Optimal mental health

Flourishing consists of:

Languishing – Extremely poor mental health

Not mentally ill, but lacking positive emotions and living a life of despair.

Mental Health – A state of well-being where the individual realizes their own abilities, can adequately cope with life’s stressors, works productively and fruitfully and makes a contribution to their community. WHO Fact Sheet 220, 2001

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Basic Definitions

Mental Illness A medically or psychologically diagnosable illness that results in cognitive, emotional or relationship difficulties or impairment.

Psychological Health A state of mental well-being which consists of the ability to think, feel, and behave in a manner that enables a person to perform at work and home. Canadian Mental Health Association

Psychological Injury A stress related emotional injury to a person’s well-being or loss of cognitive function.


Basic Definitions

Psychological Safety

The precautions taking at the workplace to prevent injury, danger or loss to a worker’s cognitive function and to maintain their mental well-being. Guarding Minds at Work, Canada

Psychologically Safe Workplace

A workplace that does not allow or tolerate harm to an employee’s mental health through intentional, reckless, careless or negligent ways. Canadian Mental Health Association

Psychosocial Risk Factors

Risk factors that impact employee psychological safety and health.

2012, William McPeck. All rights reserved

Basic Definitions

Well-being

• Well-being is a broad and holistic term often used as an alternative to describe a high level quality of life state. The dimensions of well-being include:

• There are four dimensions

– Physical Wellbeing - health

– Mental & Emotional wellbeing - self-confidence

– Social Wellbeing - self-esteem

– Spiritual wellbeing - personal beliefs


Mental Health - Mental Illness Continuums

Mental Health Continuum

Poor Optimal

Languishing Thriving

Flourishing

Mental Illness Continuum

Severe Mild

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Poor Mental Health

Poor mental health, also known as languishing, is associated with emotional distress and both psychological and social impairment. The impacts of poor mental health are wide ranging and include physical health and job performance.

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Why MHP?

Com Psych Press Releases July 30, 2012 – 38% of employees are unable to stop thinking

about problems and another 52% experienced a major life or

work change in the past year.

August 15, 2011 – The state of many employees’ emotional

health likely will not support healthy lifestyle changes.

“There is a strong correlation between high stress/emotional issues and poor lifestyle choices.” Richard Chaifetz, Psy.D., CEO


Why MHP?

According to Richard Eckersley in his article “Whatever Happened to Western Civilization,”

“Although the trends remain contested among researchers, the weight of evidence suggests a marked decline in psychological well-being.”


Eckersley Cites

• An American study that found a steady decline in the mental health of college students between 1938 and 2007.

• A 2010 survey of college freshman found that their emotional health had fallen to the lowest level since the survey began in 1985

• The greatest changes were in worry, irritably, fatigue, sleep disturbances, feeling worn out


Determinants of Mental Health

According to Keleher and Armstrong, the three most significant determinants of mental health are:

• Social inclusion

• Freedom from discrimination and violence

• Access to economic resources

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My Own View

I would add:

• Inbornness - genetics

• Our familial and social circumstances growing up

• How are uniqueness is scaffolded/supported allowing us to meet the success requirements


Mental Health Dynamics

Our mental health changes over time. Factors that influence mental health include:

• Levels of personal and workplace stress

• Health and lifestyle behaviors

• Work environment

• Exposure to trauma

• Economic circumstances


Mental Illnesses

Mental illnesses commonly seen in the workplace:

• Anxiety

• Depression, Bipolar

• PTSD

• Concurrent disorders – addictions and substance abuse

Schizophrenia is generally not seen in the workplace.

Test 2012, William McPeck. All rights reserved

If An Employee Has a Mental Illness

Help the employee do get treatment if they are not already in treatment.

• EAP

• Primary Care

• Community Based Resources


Workplace Mental Health Program

Definition

“ A series of activities, initiatives, and policies developed for the continuous enhancement of the quality of working life, health and the well-being of all working populations.”

Workplace Mental Health Promotion: A How-To Guide


Workplace Mental Health Program

“Program interventions are developed to improve the work environment, to increase personal empowerment and for personal growth development.”



Programming is Site Specific

Workplace Specific Factors include:

• Leadership

• Employees doing the work

• The nature of the work

• The size of the organization

• The external environment influencers

• External resources available to the employer


Programming Should

• Strengthen protective factors

• Lessen risk factors

• Build on the existing social determinants of health


Eight Workplace Strategies

1. Encourage active employee participation

2. Clearly define employee duties and responsibilities

3. Promote work-life balance

4. Encourage civil behaviors

5. Manage workloads

6. Allow continuous learning


Eight Workplace Strategies

7. Have conflict resolution policies and practices in place

8. Recognize and reward employee contributions in a timely and effective manner



Potential Program Interventions

• Stigma and Discrimination

• Stress Management

– Individual

– Organizational

• Work-Life Balance

• Workplace Violence

• Presenteeism


• Resiliency

• Job Burnout

• Positive Health

• Care Giving

• Strengths

• Co-morbidities

• Happiness

• Respect/Civility

• h

Program Implementation


• h

Treatment

Providing treatment is generally not a goal of a workplace mental health promotion program.

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Psychological vs. Mental Health

“Psychologically healthy workplaces and mentally healthy workplaces are synonymous terms that both describe the same high-functioning, respectful and productive workplace.”



12 Psychosocial Risk Factors

• Psychological support

• Organizational culture

• Clear leadership and expectations

• Civility and respect

• Psychological job fit

• Growth and development


12 Psychosocial Risk Factors

• Recognition and reward

• Involvement and influence

• Workload management

• Engagement

• Balance

• Psychological protection Guarding Minds @Work


Psychosocial Risk Factors

The psychological safety and health of employees examines psychosocial risk factors.

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Barriers to Mental Health Promotion

• Age related changes

• Physical illness

• Attitudes of others

• Denial

• Alcohol or drug use and misuse

• Health complaints – somatization

• Stigma


Introducing the Psychological Health and Safety Management System

• The Psychological Health and Management System PHSMS) is designed to work in conjunction with the soon to be released psychologically healthy and safe workplace standard.

• The PHSMS is similar to other management systems and can be integrated with existing policies and processes. A PHSMS does not need to involve a significant investment, or a wholesale change in processes, policies or procedures.

• A PHSMS can be approached in a step-wise fashion by:

• Assessing where your organization is now using available measurements

• Deciding where your organization wants to be in terms of psychological health and safety

• Selecting actions that will help your organization to get there

• Implementing, at least initially, what is prudent or practical given your organization's current circumstances


Introducing the Psychological Health and Safety Management System

Sections

• Introduction

• Commitment and Leadership

• Planning

• Implementation

• Evaluation and Corrective Action

• Management Review and Continual Improvement

Test http://www.workplacestrategiesformentalhealth.com/display.asp?l1=236&d=236 2012, William McPeck. All rights reserved

Regulatory Requirements

• No regulations for workplace psychological or mental health in North America

• Stress regulations in place in UK and Canada

– Management Standards and Stress in UK

– Regulations at the provincial level


Standards

The soon-to-be released National Standard of Canada on Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace will provide information and guidelines for developing and continuously improving a psychologically healthy and safe work environment.

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Award Programs

• PHWP: Psychologically Healthy Workplace Program

• www.phwa.org/awards/

• Awarded by 56 associations across the U.S. and Canada


PHWP

• Applicants are evaluated on their efforts in the following five areas:

– Employee Involvement

– Work-Life Balance

– Employee Growth and Development

– Health and Safety

– Employee Recognition



Resources

• Workplace Mental Health Promotion: A How-to-Guide –

http://wmhp.cmhaontario.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/WMHP-

Guide-Final1.pdf

• Workplace Mental Health Promotion Bibliography - http://wmhp.cmhaontario.ca/bibliography

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) - Workplaces That Thrive:

A Resource for Creating Mental Health-Friendly Work Environments by the Substance Abuse and

Mental Health Services Administration

http://www.promoteacceptance.samhsa.gov/publications/business_resource.aspx

• American Psychological Association, Psychologically Healthy Workplace Program

http://www.phwa.org/

• Workplace Strategies for Mental Health -

http://www.workplacestrategiesformentalhealth.com/index.asp?l1=144

http://wmhp.cmhaontario.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/WMHP-Guide-Final1.pdf










http://wmhp.cmhaontario.ca/bibliography

http://www.promoteacceptance.samhsa.gov/publications/business_resource.aspx

http://www.phwa.org/

http://www.workplacestrategiesformentalhealth.com/index.asp?l1=144

Resources

• Guarding Minds @ Work – www.guardingmindsatwork.ca

• Great-West Life Centre for Mental health in the Workplace

http://www.gwlcentreformentalhealth.com

•

http://www.guardingmindsatwork.ca/

http://www.gwlcentreformentalhealth.com/

References

• Eckersley, Richard. “Whatever Happened to Western Civilization?” The Futurist, November –December, 2012, Volume 46, No.6, pp. 16 – 22.

• Keleher, Helen. Armstrong. Evidence Based Mental Health Promotion Resource.” 2006. Available at: www.health.vic.gov.au/healthpromotion/downloads/mental_health-resource.pdf. Accessed: October 21, 2012.

http://www.health.vic.gov.au/healthpromotion/downloads/mental_health-resource.pdf




References

Workplace Mental Health Promotion: A How-To Guide.

Canadian Mental Health Association. Available at: http://wmhp.cmhaontario.ca/ Accessed: September 7, 2012.

http://wmhp.cmhaontario.ca/

Questions ??

Viridian Health Management is a Viridian Health Management is a healthcare improvement company focused on improving individual and population health through its pioneering health coaching techniques, integrative approach to wellness, powerful technology platform and actionable analytics. Its comprehensive health management solutions combine evidence-based and emerging best practices for worksites, communities, the public sector and healthcare partners.

Contact Information

Bill McPeck

Information Integration Manager

PO Box 137

St. Albans, ME 04971

[email protected]

207-355-1203

mailto:[email protected]

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EXPANDING THE FOUNDATION OF WORKSITE HEALTH PROGRAMS