Why is there a need for mental health awareness training? In our new Mental Health for Managers workshop we aim to help managers and school leaders understand the difficulties some of their staff may be experiencing. We train people in recognising signs and symptoms, and in how to approach and deal effectively with these staff. But some may wonder why such training is necessary.

The Scale of the Problem

There are two parts to the answer. The first is that poor mental health is a very significant issue affecting many people, including those in work. Consider the following statistics:

• 25% of people will experience a common mental disorder (CMD) at some point in their lives (McManus et al, 2016)
• 20% of women currently have a CMD (McManus et al, 2016)
• 12% of men currently have a CMD (McManus et al, 2016)
• 15% of employees currently have a CMD  (McManus et al, 2016)
• 11% of all sickness days are due to a mental health condition or stress  (Labour Force Survey, 2016-17)

The Business Case

The second reason why there is a need for mental health awareness training is the huge cost to businesses.

• Poor mental health costs employers £33-42 billion each year (Deloitte, 2017)
• This equates to £1300 per employee per year
• More than half of this cost is due to ‘presenteeism’ – when individuals are less productive due to poor mental health in work. Various studies suggest that presenteeism is increasing each year.
• 300,000 people with a long-term mental health condition lose their jobs each year – double the rate for people without a mental health condition and far higher than the rate for physical ill health (Labour Force Survey, 2016-17)

Clearly it will pay to make workplaces more mentally healthy. Reducing turnover, absences, and presenteeism can save a great deal of money. In a 2017 review of 23 companies by Deloitte, for every £1 spent on mental health awareness training, on average £4.20 was saved. Numerous other international studies support this finding.

Need for Mental Health Awareness

At Delphis we are committed to fulfilling the urgent need for mental health awareness in the workplace. With our carefully designed mental health awareness workshops we help businesses help their employees and save money.