Published Leeds Beckett University Research Hub
Open engagement with Mental Health support in the workplace
The statistics around mental health show us that it is normal to be suffering with anxiety, stress, burnout, depression and other psychological disorders. For example, we know that one in four people will experience a mental health problem over course of a year. We know that 40% of men aged 18-45 have considered committing suicide and that suicide is the biggest cause of death in the UK for men under 45. Women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety with the ages of 35-60 being the most anxious years. With the prevalence of mental health problems, it’s likely that many coaches and clients are unwell even if they choose not to disclose it.
In his book ‘Lost Connections’, Johann Hari argues that depression is not an illness that can be reliably cured medically, instead it is a longing for connection to self and community:
What if depression is, in fact, a form of grief—for our own lives not being as they should? What if it is a form of grief for the connections we have lost, yet still need?
Johann Hari, Lost Connections
This links to the World Health Organisation’s revised definition of mental disorders:
Depression is a disease of the heart, but in the metaphorical sense, and above all, it is a disease of the mind, spirit, body and emotions, intimately affected by where we live and how we live and with whom we live.
World Health Organisation, 2011
Mental illness is becoming increasingly common because of the way we live and work. Coaches have a role to play in creating and holding a space where individuals and companies can choose to be more open and no longer fear the stigma of mental illness. With this transparency comes permission to learn, provide relevant support and create compassionate working cultures.
This nuance is in contrast to a perception of coaching as a tool which focuses on the positive. What do you want? What’s your dream? What if anything was possible? What’s your best future? If you are a client with anxiety or depression, these questions might be impossible. As coaches, perhaps we can be more confident to be in the shadows with our clients and understand that in order to re-engage people with a true sense of self and purpose which may be lost for now, it’s necessary be in the dusk and spend some time there. Hetty Enzig writes, ‘our very task is to light a candle in the darkness.’.
In my experience, it is this place where true meaning, connection and purpose arises. Once we find the treasure in the cave we fear, despair and depression cease to overwhelm us. Val says, ‘we know that having someone to talk to is one of the most helpful interventions in mental ill health, whether it’s temporary or long term. As coaches we need to use our skills and knowledge in this space.’
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