New Data Reveals That Employees Would Rather Talk About Diarrhoea Than Depression With Their Managers

New research from the ‘Where’s Your Head At?’ campaign at Bauer Media has found that employees are three times more likely to discuss physical ailments over mental health issues at work. The study comes after a year-long effort to put mental and physical first aid on equal footing in the workplace, with a petition to have mental health first aiders at every workplace gaining over 210,000 signatures so far. Now, they're calling on businesses to sign a Workplace Manifesto to put their support into action.

According to the survey of 2000 employed adults, only 1 in 10 workers feel comfortably talking about self-harm, psychosis, eating disorders, postnatal depression or schizophrenia. More than that, only 12% would feel comfortable discussing bipolar disorder and only 26% discussing depression. Compared to physical health issues, more people would feel comfortable talking about diarrhoea than mental health issues.

The research, commissioned by Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England and Bauer Media UK also found the shocking fact that while 7 in 10 employees know basic physical first aid, only 36% feel confident talking to colleagues about common mental health issues (from stress to depression) – a very basic part of any Mental Health First Aid training. And it shows in how those who do suffer with these common conditions feel at work, with only 14% thinking they can talk about them. Fundamentally, the research proves that much more needs to be done to make workplaces a safe space to tackle mental ill health.

As a result, the ‘Where’s Your Head At?’ campaign, on its first anniversary as part of Mental Health Week 2019, has launched a Workplace Manifesto which calls on employers to sign up and officially commit to prioritise mental health, build diverse and inclusive workplaces and ensure mental and physical health issues are treated equally.

‘Whilst many employers are claiming to take mental health more seriously, the feedback I'm getting on my travels around the UK is that many of them are paying it lip service,’ said Natasha Devon MBE, WHYA campaigner and author, ‘Our research shows that people still feel the stigma of discussing mental health in the workplace, fearing they will be seen as “unprofessional” if they do disclose a mental health issue.

Click through to see celebrity support for the Where's Your Head At? campaign.

‘That's why, one year on from when we called for a law change to make mental health first aid mandatory in the workplace,’ she continued, ‘we have expanded the range of recommended actions employers can take. We spend a third of our lives at work and we can't leave our mental health at the door - it's essential businesses get this right.’

One of the signatories of the manifesto, Karl Simons - Chief Health, Safety and Security Officer at Thames Water - stated that since implementing mental health first aiders at Thames Water, there has been a ‘cultural revolution’ in how employees talk about mental health.

‘We’ve had five mental health first aid interventions for every physical one over the last year,’ he said, ‘Confidence has grown throughout the company with people now much more willing to come forward, talk and seek support at their time of need.'

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England, Bauer Media UK and Natasha Devon MBE are calling on employers, business leaders and MPs from across the country to sign up to support the ‘Where’s Your Head At?’ Workplace Manifesto. The goal is to sign-up 50 leading employers by the end of Mental Health Awareness Week. Visit Where's Your Head At? for more information.