Mental health
Mental health in the lockdown and beyond When this is all over, will it be said that ‘it took a pandemic to put mental health where it should be – at the front and centre of daily considerations about working lives?’ Adrian Wakeling, Senior Policy Advisor at Acas, discusses Charities and stakeholders have been campaigning for a genuine parity between physical and mental health for decades. We may be social distancing to protect each other’s physical health, the NHS and social care, but what impact is the crisis having on our mental health and what can we do about it? The new normal is mentally challenging We don’t have to look very far for the causes of increased levels of poor mental health. Early findings form an IES survey of the well-being of employees working from home, paints a vivid picture of anxiety and stress: loss of sleep – 60 per cent are losing sleep due to worry; more drinking (alcohol consumption up 20 per cent) and less exercise (down 60 per cent); unhappiness with work-life balance (50 per cent) and a third frequently feeling isolated; worry about job security (21 per cent) and the health of loved ones (41 per cent); and an increase in musculoskeletal complaints, with
survey respondents reporting new aches Of course, technology allows us to and pains in the neck (58 per cent), shoulder stay connected. But it also allows us to (56 per cent) and back (55 per cent). recreate what we had before and for Although we all face many new many this is hours of Skype meetings challenges, much has also stayed the same. instead of face-to-face meetings. Surveys of employees, such as those from And there is the addictive nature of the CIPD, regularly show that work-life technology which means that it takes a balance is a perennial top concern. This lot of self-discipline to turn off devices. may be heightened at the moment – with Technology can’t solve the connectivity the line between work and home problem on its own. I have heard being not so much blurred as of colleagues having virtual completely rubbed out for tea breaks to chat, quizzes many of us – but it very after work and there Surveys of much a dilemma of has been a great employ e e modern working life. deal of therapeutic s , such as thos sharing. But a recent e f r om the CIPD, re Technology: a survey by YouGov, that wo gularly show friend and a foe commissioned by rk-life b Many people have Acas, shows that alance is a per wondered what the people are still e n ni current experience of missing ‘social/informal concernal top this pandemic would interaction’ while have been like a few working from home (71 decades ago, without the per cent) and feeling ‘out internet and social media? of the loop’ (51 per cent). E Issue 20.2 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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