How to support an employee during a mental health crisis

It seemingly came out of nowhere.

An employee who was, in the past, hardworking, focused and diligent reaches a point where they are unable to complete daily tasks and are now putting themselves and others in a dangerous position.

The signs are all pointing to a mental health crisis.

Your first reaction to witnessing a mental health crisis by an employee in the workplace might be shock or fear, particularly if the signs leading up to it were subtle.

Now, you may be looking back on this event and asking yourself questions like:

• How could I have missed the signs?

• Was there more I could have done?

• What was this person feeling at that moment?

A mental health crisis can mean different things for each person. According to The Mental Health Foundation, "it means a time when someone requires urgent help. They might be extremely anxious and have panic attacks. They could be self-harming or thinking of suicide. They may have felt this way before and know where to get help, or it could be the first time they've felt this way."

The likelihood of experiencing a mental health crisis for yourself or someone you work with will not be a few isolated events throughout our lives, either. The latest estimates show mental health problems affect one in six workers in the UK each year, costing the UK economy somewhere between £74 billion and £99 billion.

The leading cause of stress in our lives?

Surprisingly, research from Mind shows that work pressure is the number one cause, rating even more stressful than financial problems. This tells us there is still a stigma around the conversations we’re having (or not having) about mental health, which may only become amplified in the workplace.

People are too afraid to admit they are struggling in case they get treated differently. There may be some concerns that they will get overlooked for a promotion, be replaced, or be labelled as 'unable to cope' if they openly acknowledge their personal and professional life pressures.

If you’re worried about a colleague’s mental health, here are five tips to help them:

Encourage them to talk

“Reassure the person that it’s OK to be speaking to you, and that you will treat what they say with respect.” Chris O’Sullivan, Head of Business Development and Engagement, Mental Health Foundation

Start by talking about general wellbeing, and let people know that they can talk to you if they need to. Remember everyone’s experience of mental health problems is different, so focus on the person, not the problem.

Staying silent is one of the worst things people can do and opening up and talking about how they’re feeling can in turn help them feel more relaxed about chatting to their manager. Even if they don’t want to speak about it at that time, you’ve still let them know you care, and you’re there for them when the time is right.

Encourage them to seek support from the workplace

“There is often a conspiracy of silence surrounding mental illness in the workplace. It is important that people realise that help is available.” Marjorie Wallace, Founder and Chief Executive, SANE.

If someone feels like their workload is spiralling out of control, encourage them to discuss it with their manager or supervisor. If their manager doesn’t create the space for them to be able to talk about well-being, it can be more difficult to start this dialogue.

It depends on the relationship they have with their manager, but if they have a good relationship and trust them, then they could meet them on a one to one basis to discuss what’s going on.

Having someone from HR present will make the meeting more formal, and normally wouldn’t be necessary in the first instance. But if they didn’t get anywhere with the first meeting then it might be a sensible next step.

Avoid making assumptions

Don’t try to guess what symptoms a co-worker might have and how these might affect their life or their ability to do their job – many people are able to manage their condition and perform their role to a high standard.