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As more Canadians struggle with their mental health, many feel they aren’t getting sufficient support from their employers.
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has seen a steady increase in mental health and addiction cases in recent years, including a significant spike during the pandemic.
“There were some increases during COVID around mental health and suicidality, and people are still struggling,” says Dr. Donna Ferguson, a clinical psychologist at CAMH.
A troubling new study conducted by mental health support app maker Wysa suggests one in four Canadians are bothered by thoughts of self-harm, and 12 per cent of workers have had a colleague who attempted — or lost their life to — suicide in the past year.
According to the survey of 2,000 Canadian employees, 31 per cent also say their employer is overlooking serious mental health problems at work. Furthermore, 34 per cent say their employer treats mental health as a “check-the-box” exercise, and 36 per cent say their leaders view it as a personal issue, not a workplace concern.
“Postpandemic, things have only gotten worse because of the longer-term impacts of social isolation and loneliness people experienced — especially young people — and our studies find similar challenges in the U.S. and the U.K., so it is a global crisis,” says Wysa’s chief psychologist Smriti Joshi. “People spend a significant amount of their life at the workplace supporting [their employers’] organizational goals, so it should be a matter of concern for them as well.”
Ms. Joshi says that those organizations that fail to address employee mental health challenges effectively risk exacerbating the problem, especially in extreme situations.
“[Workers] often feel unequipped to help colleagues experiencing crises, which can be very overwhelming,” she says. “It could even trigger their own sense of safety and sense of anxiety about what led this person to such actions, why wasn’t there any help available and what happens if I’m in a similar situation?”
According to the study, 25 per cent of employees have witnessed a manager ignore or fail to respond appropriately to a colleague showing signs of distress and 43 per cent feel their employer does take proactive steps to address employee mental health needs.
“I think they can be doing more, as you can see in the data, particularly around mental health and suicide,” says CAMH’s Dr. Ferguson. “The workplace has an obligation — not just a legal, but an ethical and moral obligation — to foster and accommodate mental health in the workplace, and I just don’t think that they’re doing enough.”
The Canadian Human Rights Commission, as well as provincial human rights codes, require employers to accommodate mental health related disabilities, but such requirements typically only apply to those who have been formally diagnosed.
Dr. Ferguson explains that even in workplaces where mental health resources are provided, there are numerous reasons why employees struggle to access them, ranging from awareness and education to stigma and shame. That is why she advocates for a more proactive approach.
“Even when we provide resources and accommodation around mental health in the workplace, [ask yourself] ‘how much are we doing around prevention, education and intervention?’” she says.
While such resources often come at a cost, failing to address mental health needs can ultimately result in a higher price tag in the long run. According to CAMH, mental illness costs the Canadian economy $50-billion a year in health care expenses, lost productivity, absenteeism and reductions in health-related quality of life.
Employers seeking guidance on their mental health programs can consult the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace. Dr. Ferguson also recommends taking proactive measures to reduce stigma and ensure easy access to care, establish peer-support groups, offer programs to identify and address workplace bullying, more flexible working hours and more employee training on the subject.
“Encouraging positive mental health and holistic wellbeing in the work environment can prevent things like depression, anxiety and suicidality, which results in turnover, disability, absenteeism and billions spent on disability, so it’s a worthwhile investment,” she says.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story stated 43 per cent of employees feel their employer doesn’t take proactive steps to address mental health needs. In fact, 43 per cent do feel their employer takes proactive steps.