Women’s History Month: Mental Health Stories in the Workplace
This Women’s History Month, we celebrate women's vital role in shaping American history. Women have also been instrumental in shaping and...
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“Not acknowledging that millions are dealing with mental health conditions is costing an enormous amount both in terms of dollars and cents and, more importantly, people's lives."
Arianna Huffington
Mental Health at Work Mini-Conference, May 2018
"I personally would like to thank Mind Share Partners for all of your support of this ERG and community from the very beginning when we were unsure, driven, and quite a bit scared on launching something that would make us so vulnerable. You provided resources and insight that gave us direction, hope, and reminded us that what we were creating would matter to our peers. To which, you were right. I'm thankful for Mind Share Partners, what you stand for and all that you're creating in this new area of diversity, inclusion, and belonging."
"After the Mind Share Partners conference, we created our own Mental Health Fund, since our health insurance excludes it, and talked about it so our team knew we had their back and they'd be covered for emergency care for suicidal thoughts, etc.
It's a start. Stigma runs deep. It's good that [Mind Share Partners] is helping workplaces talk about it!"
Just launched! Join our Mind Share Partners Institute certificate program.
Just launched! Join our Mind Share Partners Institute certificate program.
Mental health is the.next frontier of the.diversity, equity, and inclusion movement..
Watch our panel with Culture Amp on DEI & Mental Health >
Image from Jopwell
Mental health is the next frontier of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
The experiences of mental health at work are diverse, but many employees who manage mental health conditions face shame, stigma, and discrimination at work.
Companies that reduce this stigma can increase engagement, productivity, and belonging across communities by starting the dialogue and providing support.
Mental health includes a spectrum of experiences.
From the 1 in 5 employees who manage a diagnosable condition in any given year to the 60% of all employees who reported symptoms of a mental health condition in the past year, every employee exists somewhere on the spectrum of mental health.
Mental health affects all levels of the organization.
Research shows that symptoms of mental health conditions are just as prevalent across seniority levels within organizations. In fact, some conditions are even higher in high-performing professionals like entrepreneurs.
Mental health challenges can strengthen teams and organizations.
Recent media and insights from our professional communities have surfaced ways in which mental health challenges benefit workplaces, from creative thinking and attention to detail to increased empathy as a manager.
But mental health is often stigmatized and marginalized.
Many employees still face negative repercussions at work, from disciplinary action to dismissal. As a result, 69% of employees hide their condition from coworkers, and 8 in 10 say that this stigma prevents them from getting treatment.
Mental health has always been considered taboo in Asian culture—we simply don’t talk about these things, at home or in public. We end up repressing, denying, or ignoring the existence of any mental health issues.
From "Workplace Mental Health for Asian American Professionals" by Mind Share Partners
How does mental health differ across various demographic groups?
Every demographic group—and those at their intersections—experience mental health in the workplace differently. In fact, demographic groups that are not historically underrepresented diversity and inclusion groups, such as men and millennials, actually face unique challenges when it comes to mental health.
Scroll to read about the differences in mental health experiences for women, men, the LGBTQ+ community, racial and ethnic minorities, as well as millennials and Gen Z.
Women
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Women are more open to getting treatment and are up to 40% more likely than men to have been diagnosed and treated for a mental health condition in the past.
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Women are twice as likely to experience depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
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Women make up 85-95% of anorexia or bulimia diagnoses.
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Women face unique challenges that negatively impact their mental health, including the gender pay gap, motherhood, and sexual harassment at work.
Learn more about the unique mental health experiences in workplaces across demographic groups in Mind Share Partners' latest Mental Health at Work Report.
As a transgender woman, it can be hard to shake the stigma that I’m mentally ill, simply by nature of being who I am. Even with institutions such as the WHO publicly stating that it’s not a mental illness, it seems some people refuse to believe that a transgender person is not “crazy.”
From "Workplace Mental Health for LGBTQ+ Professionals" by Mind Share Partners
From Jopwell
How to support mental health through diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
Successful DEI programs in the workplace require policies, programs, and practices that advocate for employees facing mental health challenges.
Are you a DEI leader who wants to support mental health at your company?
Mind Share Partners offers workshops and advising services that teach companies to name, normalize, and navigate mental health at work.
Looking to learn more about mental health and DEI?
Read about the mental health experiences demographic groups in our articles featuring stories from real professionals.
Or watch our virtual panel with Culture Amp on DEI & mental health.
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