Why we need to change perceptions around mental health
Tackling stress, both in the workplace and at home, can go a long way towards fostering good mental health. That’s why it’s great that it was the focus of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week (14–20 May). Stress and stress management is something that businesses have started to talk about a lot, as we’ve all become more aware of the impact the pressure of everyday life and work can have on how people feel in and outside of work.
To mark Mental Health Awareness week and demonstrate our commitment to helping businesses to support their colleagues, we hosted MindShift. A business-focused event designed to bring the industry together, to start an important dialogue on mental health and how to change perceptions.
It was great to hear from our keynote speaker and mental health ambassador, Alastair Campbell, journalist and former Downing Street Press Secretary, about his first-hand experience of mental health and how he learned to deal with it, which provided some much needed food for thought.
Likewise, our panel discussion with representatives from Mental Health First Aid, Mental Health Alliance, Unilever and Mercer, shared useful insights and examples of how businesses can and are helping their colleagues every day.
In recent years we’ve seen demand from businesses for mental health support increase substantially, with the number of employees claiming for mental health treatment double in the last decade. And our research shows that more than two in five businesses have seen an increase in episodes of mental health compared with five years ago.
In his presentation, Campbell touched on the importance of resilience, which can help someone to safeguard their mental health and can reduce their chance of a mental health episode. We know that mental health conditions can, unfortunately, reoccur which is why, in response to business demand, we recently launched our new Business Mental Health Advantage – which we officially unveiled at our MindShift event.
A common theme that emerged at our event was the need to look at things differently. We have always seen ourselves as a partner to businesses which is why we wanted to be able to offer them a solution that reflects the needs of their people. Our Business Mental Health Advantage covers all mental health conditions, expect for dementia and learning/behavioural development problems, as well as conditions that are usually excluded by insurers, such as alcohol and drug abuse. It also provides businesses and their employees peace of mind that there is appropriate support available if their condition returns.
As business leaders, we all want our people to thrive, because that makes business thrive and that makes economies thrive. So we know it makes good business sense. But more importantly, it’s the right thing to do.
Author is Alex Perry, CEO of Bupa UK Insurance.
This article was provided by Bupa.
In partnership with Bupa
Bupa's purpose is helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives and making a better world.
