Mental health challenges affect many of us at work, yet too often, conversations around this remain in the shadows. Despite more than one in seven workers experiencing a mental health issue during their careers, 45% of employees say they wouldn’t talk about it at work for fear of being judged. But change is happening.
There’s a growing movement to challenge this silence, paving the way for more frank conversations and compassionate support. If you’d like to help improve attitudes towards mental illness within your workplace, here’s how to start.
Challenge your own assumptions and break the stigma
We all carry assumptions—sometimes without even realising it. Reflecting on your own biases is an important first step. By doing this, you can avoid unintentionally reinforcing the stigma that affects so many.
“You may not mean to contribute to the stigma, but even an unintentional stigma is hurtful,” says Katherine Ponte, a Yale lecturer in psychiatry and founder of the mental health recovery group ForLikeMinds. She suggests that sharing your own experiences, if comfortable, can level the playing field and build trust.
Start conversations with care
Talking to someone in distress is never easy, but the right approach can make all the difference. Experts recommend striking a balance between being gentle and genuine without coming across as overbearing.
Mental health activist Dior Vargas points out that many people with mental illnesses “can feel like they don’t matter or that they are a burden to others”. Even if someone tells you they’re fine, you can remind them that you’re available whenever they’re ready to talk.
Use empathy and supportive language
When someone opens up, how can you be truly supportive? The Jefferson Center, a mental health non-profit, emphasises the importance of empathy—“trying to put yourself in their position and respond in the way that you would want someone to respond to you if you were sharing something difficult and private.”
Along with using thoughtful language when talking to people facing mental health challenges, you can show your support by avoiding stigmatising terms in everyday conversation. For example, phrases like “insane” can make light of serious mental illness and devalue the experiences of people who live with these challenges.
Promote mental health education
One of the best ways to increase awareness is through personal stories. Yale psychiatry lecturer Katharine Ponte suggests that running events featuring “intimate, lived experiences and personal accounts” is one of the best ways to educate people about mental health issues. “Such stories help humanize these challenges and foster empathy.”
Know what to do in a crisis
“Mental health can get really, really tough sometimes,” warns Beckett Frith from the charity Mental Health at Work (now part of Mind). Not every issue can be resolved with a supportive conversation – you may have a colleague who has a psychotic episode or suicidal feelings.
Frith suggests encouraging your organisation to draw up a plan for such a crisis, with details of when it might be necessary to call emergency services, how to support your colleague afterwards and how to manage a suitable return to work.
“When it comes to the complicated world of mental health, it’s important to be ready for anything,” he says.
Supporting mental health at work isn’t just about helping during a crisis—it’s about creating a space where everyone feels heard and valued. By breaking the stigma, showing empathy, and promoting mental health education, you can help make your workplace more understanding. In the end, creating a supportive environment benefits not just those facing mental health challenges, but everyone in the workplace.
