Wellness initiatives are on the rise in most workplaces with attention focused on fitness, nutrition, and smoking cessation. What about mental health? Traditional wellness programs aren’t designed to address mental wellness.
Addressing the emotional side of wellness is critical since our well-being and resiliency are often major keys to good health. Think about this:
- At least one-third of your workforce will have a major personal problem over the course of each year, one in ten struggle with a substance abuse issue, and 1 in 5 suffer from depression.
- Stress and depression are most likely impacting your organization’s health care costs.
- Many people with personal issues avoid traditional wellness seminars but may welcome confidential, one-on-one assistance.
- Most employees need emotional support when they are trying to get healthier. Understanding personal barriers and motivations may be a key to success.
- Some employees, who are trying to lose weight, get fit, or stop smoking have an underlying mental health, addiction, or work life issue. Success will be limited until the underlying issue is identified and resolved. That is unlikely to happen in a traditional wellness program.
So, if brown bag seminars, fitness challenges, and screenings aren’t enough, then what will help?
Your Employee Assistance Program is your greatest mental wellness resource. Get to know your EAP and encourage people to use it. A strong EAP can form a solid foundation for any wellness program and will help people get to the root cause of their issues in a personal way.
How’s the mental wellness in your work group?
