Mental Health in the Workplace
An Introduction to Mental Health in the Workplace
Increasingly, good mental health in the workplace is an issue being raised. Job stresses are being recognized as affecting work performance and also an individual’s over-all well-being. There is a lot of information available about how to promote good mental health in the workplace but perhaps insufficient initiatives actually being used. Providing employees with information promoting good mental health alerts them to the problems but may not achieve the solutions. Within the larger society good physical health is overwhelmingly accepted as the first step to good mental health. Can mental health issues in the workplace be addressed in the same way, by first promoting improved physical well-being?
Nutrition and Diet
The benefits of good nutrition are important for everyone at home and at work. Good health begins with a good breakfast. People who have a morning meal are more likely to take in more vitamins and minerals, and much less fat and cholesterol. (WebMD, 2008) The effect is often a leaner body and less chance of overeating and going to the vending machine during work hours. Researchers at the 2003 American Heart Association conference reported that breakfast eaters have a lower chance of being obese and getting diabetes. Another study in the International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition concluded that people that eat breakfast cereal daily feel better both physically and mentally compared to the people who almost never ate cereal for breakfast. A Web MD article explains “To get the full benefits of breakfast, the Mayo Clinic recommends a meal with carbohydrates, protein, and a small amount of fat. They say that because no single food gives you all of the nutrients you need, eating a variety of foods is essential to good health.” Even if an employee does not have time to eat before work, because they are rushing to be on time or their morning consists of dealing with children, bringing a
Increasingly, good mental health in the workplace is an issue being raised. Job stresses are being recognized as affecting work performance and also an individual’s over-all well-being. There is a lot of information available about how to promote good mental health in the workplace but perhaps insufficient initiatives actually being used. Providing employees with information promoting good mental health alerts them to the problems but may not achieve the solutions. Within the larger society good physical health is overwhelmingly accepted as the first step to good mental health. Can mental health issues in the workplace be addressed in the same way, by first promoting improved physical well-being?
Nutrition and Diet
The benefits of good nutrition are important for everyone at home and at work. Good health begins with a good breakfast. People who have a morning meal are more likely to take in more vitamins and minerals, and much less fat and cholesterol. (WebMD, 2008) The effect is often a leaner body and less chance of overeating and going to the vending machine during work hours. Researchers at the 2003 American Heart Association conference reported that breakfast eaters have a lower chance of being obese and getting diabetes. Another study in the International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition concluded that people that eat breakfast cereal daily feel better both physically and mentally compared to the people who almost never ate cereal for breakfast. A Web MD article explains “To get the full benefits of breakfast, the Mayo Clinic recommends a meal with carbohydrates, protein, and a small amount of fat. They say that because no single food gives you all of the nutrients you need, eating a variety of foods is essential to good health.” Even if an employee does not have time to eat before work, because they are rushing to be on time or their morning consists of dealing with children, bringing a
References: Bee, Peta. (2008, September 21). Cracking Up? Work related stress can ruin your life, not just your job. London Times. Retrieved September 28th, 2008 from thetimesonline.co.uk Mental Health and Binge Eating Disorder. (2008, October). Retrieved October 22, 2008, from WebMD: http://women.webmd.com/guide/mental-health-binge-eating-disorder Employment and Mental Illness. (2008, September). Retrieved September 28th, 2008, from Canadian Mental Health Soceity: http://www.cmha.ca/BINS/content_page.asp?cid=3-109 Factsheet: Workplace. (2008). Retrieved Septemeber 28th, 2008, from Mental Health America: http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/information/get-info/workplace Johnson, N. G. (2003). Psychology and Health: Research, Practice, and Policy. American Psychological Association , 670-677. Karlin, B. E., & Duffy, M. (Aug 2008.). Patterns and Predictors of Mental Health Service use and Mental Illness. Educational Publishing Foundation , pp. 275-294. Lost Sleep Means Lost Dollars. (2008, October 21). The Globe and Mail , p. 6. Mental Health Works. (2008, August). Retrieved Septemeber 28th, 2008, from http://www.mentalhealthworks.ca/ Millar, D. J. (Oct 1990). Mental Health and the Workplace: An Interchangeable Partnership. American Psychological Association , 1165-1166.