Monitoring mental health across the workforce
The government’s Thriving at Work report outlines a framework for improving mental health in work for organisations of all sizes – and recommends that we should monitor and report on mental health. From my perspective, monitoring mental health doesn’t need to be overcomplicated. Starting the journey is everything.
Analyse your data
I’ll caveat this with reminding employers that they have a responsibility to protect employees’ health in the workplace, but they can’t influence all factors in someone’s life. Acas created a useful box graph on factors you Can Control (workload, culture, bullying etc), Can’t Control (childhood experiences, family relationships, genetics etc) and those that Overlap (sense of purpose, stress, coping strategies or money etc).
The best place to start monitoring mental health is to analyse internal data to understand where activity needs to focus. Most employers have access to insightful data from their benefits, perhaps Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) (utilisation data, volume and reasons), private medical insurance (PMI) and group income protection (volumes and reasons), or sickness absence. Do bear in mind that, according mental health campaign Time to Change, 90 per cent of employees fear discrimination over mental health issues. As a result, there will be some under-reporting, especially in absence data.
It’s therefore important to consider varied data sources. Other readily available measurement points could be Occupational Health referral data, employers’ liability claims or virtual/private GP data. Companies can also talk to their employees; having a working group often shows really useful insights, in small or large businesses.
Other data sources
Benefit data sets often only show if the wheels have come off, so there are other solutions available such as apps and activity trackers that give indicators. However, it’s important to bear in mind that employees may find them intrusive if the data is collected by the employer. Employee surveys that focus on mental health specifically may create similar trust issues, so a survey from an independent third party, or having mental health questions as part of a wider wellbeing survey such as an Online Health Risk Assessment may help.
The Health & Safety Executive’s Management Standards Indicator Tool is an evidence-based survey which identifies the level of work-related stress in an organisation. It is recommended by the HSE as a core part of an organisation's approach to tackling this serious issue.
There are a number of clinical assessment tools available to measure individuals’ mental health. These are usually administered and analysed by clinicians and while I feel employers should exercise caution here, there is merit in being aware of their existence.
Look also to set up working groups or Mental Health First Aiders as these can provide employee support and valuable insight into issues such as disclosure, or alternatively, look to measure levels of engagement with mental health content on your intranet or qualitative feedback from line managers.
What to measure
Understanding what to measure is important. For instance, you may want to measure incidence vs severity of mental health issues. But there are some important factors. For one, an increase in reported mental health issues is not necessarily bad, as we are still at the stage where we are trying to help people feel comfortable about disclosure.
You may want to measure how many people have mental health problems and how many are seeking help, to get a ratio. If you find 15 per cent have a mental health condition and five per cent are seeking help, then one of your objectives may be to encourage people to seek help through the EAP or PMI. Alternatively, measuring the severity of mental health issues allows a strategy to inverse the number of people on long-term absence by seeking help earlier on.
Measuring whether employees are thriving, struggling or absent is an interesting view. Try not to only focus on the negative as positive shifts can indicate whether your initiatives are working.
Base measurements not only set out the current situation clearly, but also set metrics for improvement. It’s important, however, to regularly monitor the mental health of your organisation as it’s not a fixed state. I’d suggest quarterly in a large organisation, every six months in smaller ones.
Many companies have signed the Time to Change and Mindful Employer pledges; there has never been a better time to make a public commitment, helping your employees and your organisation to be seen as progressive.
Author is Charles Alberts, head of health management, Aon Employee Benefits.
This article was provided by Aon Employee Benefits.
