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24 Nov 2020
by Dr Suba M

There’s no vaccine for the mental health consequences of Covid-19

The British Medical Journal’s blog ‘The long term mental health impact of Covid-19 must not be ignored’ (05/05/2020) ominously noted: “There will be no vaccine for [the] mental health impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.” Since then, it has become clear that the virus has had a strong impact on the mental health of the workforce. And whilst we’re now hearing positive news about vaccinations against the virus itself, this is an impact which is unlikely to suddenly disappear.

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In some ways, the pandemic merely accelerated changes – such as the rise in more flexible working and home-working – which were already underway. But this acceleration forced us all to respond quickly to issues which we would otherwise have had more time to reflect upon. Employers and employees alike had little time to physically and more importantly, mentally adapt to new ways of working.

Our recent Age of Ambiguity research highlighted the impact the current situation has had on the UK workforce. While some workers have embraced the new conditions, others felt more isolated once the social aspects of work were denied to them. Interestingly, this was particularly true for introverts.

Not surprisingly, the current period of uncertainty has impacted job satisfaction. Our research found that around a quarter (27%) of employees said that they really enjoy their work. Compared to just over a third (34%) at the start of the year. Crucially, declining satisfaction is impacting employees’ mental health too. In August, 43% of employees ranked their mental health between ‘very bad’ and ‘fair’, a rise of 5% since February.

The research also highlighted how working lives have become increasingly fluid. More than half (52%) agreed the boundaries between their work and home life are becoming increasingly blurred – up from 40% in February. This has resulted in many employees working longer hours and not taking time off when they’re unwell.

If left unchecked, these behaviours are likely to have a detrimental effect on mental wellbeing and potentially lead to burnout. Moreover, employers may find they start to see an increase in staff attrition, just at the time they need to retain their most valuable assets – their employees.

Five ways to prioritise long-term mental health

While employers are taking positive steps to support their workforce, their efforts are having limited impact on morale and motivation. Worryingly, just a quarter of employees agree that their employer is genuinely concerned about their wellbeing.

So, what can employers do to mitigate the ongoing threats to the mental health of employees, whether home or workplace based?

1.Get the culture right

Employers have a key role to play in helping employees stay positive and embrace the current period of ambiguity. Leadership strategies should focus on empathy, care, communication and resilience. Above all, they need to be authentic. Talking wellbeing and mental health in an ‘always on’ working environment simply won’t work. Business leaders need to demonstrate, encourage and actively enable behaviours that foster a culture of employee wellbeing. There’s no one size fits all approach, and don’t forget, a little kindness can go a long way.

2. Identify the risks

The first step to countering any kind of threat is to identify it. Encourage a culture of openness. Listen to your employees and look out for signs that something isn’t quite right. There’s a whole host of support available for employers and employees – from line manager training to help leaders spot the warning signs of poor mental health, through to counselling services.

3. Line up support

It’s important for employers to understand the services available and how they connect. Helplines, volunteer groups, workplace benefits packages and both NHS and private healthcare resources are available. It’s important to collate what’s on offer and make sure employees who may need help know where they can find it.

4. Embrace the technology

A productive digital communications experience will help keep workforces connected and help prevent feelings of isolation. HR functions must also look to evolve by adopting an employee-focused approach to facilitating the employee experience.

Wellbeing apps can also play an important role in bringing employees fast, easy access to medical professionals and mental health experts. Some include services such as nutritional consultation which can have a highly positive effect on overall mental health.

5. Stay alert

We still aren’t fully aware what the consequences of new working patterns and practices may be. Equally, the long-term effects of the virus itself are yet to be completely understood. We’re already seeing people experiencing conditions, such as chronic fatigue, which may need specialist mental health support. Employers need to be prepared to adapt strategies as time goes by and, most importantly of all, continue to take a highly individual approach to monitoring employees’ mental health.

It's not all bad news

To put things into perspective, we can’t deny that we can learn a lot from accelerated change, and that some of the changes forced upon us may be positive ones. For example, remote working doesn’t automatically lead to worsening isolation. For many, it has brought the opportunity to improve work-life balance – and some employers will have found that more flexible working has resulted in reduced absence levels.

Different things work for different people. Now is the time for employers to re-assess their workforce’s needs, speak to their employees to understand what’s worked well and identifying any gaps in support. 

The author is Dr Subashini M associate medical director, Aviva UK Health and Protection.

This article is provided by Aviva UK Health and Protection.

In partnership with Aviva

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