Building a Supportive Culture

**Trigger Warning: Mentions Suicide**

Creating a supportive culture in the workplace is vital for suicide prevention and overall mental health wellbeing. When employees feel safe, valued, and understood, they are more likely to seek help, share their experiences, and support one another.

In this edition, we’ll explore how to foster such an environment, focusing on the language we use, the policies we implement, and the attitudes we promote.

Key Strategies for Building a Supportive Culture

1. Promote Open Communication and Active Listening

A supportive culture begins with open communication. Encourage employees to speak freely about their mental health without fear of judgement. Managers and team leaders should be trained in active listening skills, ensuring that they truly hear and understand the concerns of their team members.

Tips:

• Hold regular check-ins to discuss wellbeing.
• Encourage the use of mental health days.
• Implement an open-door policy for mental health concerns.

2. Implement Comprehensive Mental Health Training

Training is essential for creating a workplace that understands and supports mental health. Offer regular training sessions on mental health awareness, suicide prevention, and the importance of supportive language. Equip employees with the tools they need to recognise the signs of mental distress in themselves and others.

Tips:

• Include mental health training in onboarding processes.
• Provide refresher courses annually.
• Invite mental health professionals to lead workshops.

3. Establish Clear Policies for Support and Intervention

Having clear policies in place for mental health support and crisis intervention is critical. Employees should know where to go and what to do if they or someone they know is experiencing a mental health crisis. These policies should be well-documented, easily accessible, and regularly communicated to all staff.

Tips:

• Create a mental health resource page on the company intranet.
• Designate mental health first responders in the workplace.
• Offer confidential counselling services.

4. Encourage Peer Support Networks

Peer support can be incredibly powerful in preventing suicide. Encourage employees to look out for another and create formal peer support programmes where individuals are trained to offer support to their colleagues. This builds a sense of community and ensures that no one feels alone in their struggles.

Tips:

• Establish buddy systems or peer mentoring programmes.
• Offer training for peer supporters.
• Recognise and reward supportive behaviours in the workplace.

Impacts of Language on Mental Health

Language plays a crucial role in shaping attitudes towards mental health. The way we talk about it can either contribute to stigma or help to break it down.

Medical vs Social Language

• Impact: Medical language can often pathologize mental health conditions, potentially leading to stigma. Social language, on the other hand, can empower individuals and promote inclusivity.
• Approach: Training advocates to balance these types of language, recognising when each is appropriate and understanding their impact on individuals’ perceptions of mental health.

Language Around Suicide

• Impact: The phrase "commit suicide" carries connotations of criminality and sin, stemming from historical contexts where suicide was considered both a crime and a moral failing. This language can inadvertently perpetuate stigma, making it harder for individuals to seek help and increasing feelings of shame and isolation.
• Approach: Instead, using terms like "died by suicide" or "took their own life" promotes a more compassionate and non-judgemental approach, focusing on the tragic loss of life rather than attributing blame.

Discriminating Language

• Impact: Discriminating language reinforces negative stereotypes and discourages individuals from seeking help.
• Approach : Advocate for the use of inclusive respectful and understanding language that creates a safe environment for all.

Impacts on Disclosure and Help Seeking

• Impact: The words we choose can either encourage of discourage people from disclosing their mental health challenges and seeking help.
• Approach: Use language that invites openness and reduce stigma, fostering a supportive environment where individuals feel comfortable sharing their experiences.

More Helpful Language to Use

• Impact: Stigmatising language can have a profound negative effect on mental health.
• Approach: Use person-first language that respects individuals’ identities beyond their mental health challenges, fostering a more inclusive and compassionate workplace.

Self-Talk and Self-Stigma

• Impact: Negative self-talk and self-stigma can worsen mental health issues.
• Approach: Encourage the use of language that promotes self-compassion and resilience, helping individuals to develop a positive and empowering internal dialogue.

Cultural Nuances and ‘Lost in Translation’ Situations

• Impact: Cultural differences can lead to misunderstandings in mental health discussions.
• Approach: Be culturally sensitive and seek clarification when necessary, ensuring that language barriers do not hinder effective communication.

‘We’ Rather than ‘They’

• Impact: Using inclusive language fosters a sense of unity and shared experience.
• Approach: Shift from 'they' to 'we' language in mental health discourse, promoting solidarity and understanding.

Powerful for Recovery

• Impact: The language used in recovery narratives can shape an individual’s outlook on their journey.
• Approach: Use language that highlights strengths, achievements, and progress, supporting a hopeful and motivated recovery process.

How to Start the Conversation

Talking about mental health can feel daunting, but starting the conversation is often the most crucial step in offering support.

Whether you’re checking in on a colleague or opening up about your own experience, here are some practical tips on what to say to foster a supportive and understanding dialogue.

Express Genuine Concern

Begin by showing that you care about the person’s wellbeing. Your approach should be empathetic, non-judgmental, and open.

Examples:

• "I’ve noticed that you haven’t seemed yourself lately. Is everything okay?"
• "I wanted to check in because you’ve seemed a bit down recently. How are you doing?"
• "I care about you and wanted to see how you’re feeling. I’m here if you need to talk."

Ask Open-Ended Questions

Encourage the person to share by asking questions that cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." This invites them to express their thoughts and feelings more freely.

Examples:

• "How have you been feeling lately?"
• "What’s been on your mind recently?"
• "Can you tell me more about what’s been going on for you?"

Listen Without Interrupting

Once the conversation starts, focus on listening. Let them share their thoughts without interrupting, offering advice, or making assumptions. Sometimes, the best support is simply being there to listen.

Examples:

• "I’m here to listen. Take your time."
• "It’s okay to feel whatever you’re feeling. I’m here for you."
• "I’m glad you’re sharing this with me."

Validate Their Feelings

Acknowledge their emotions and let them know it’s okay to feel the way they do. This helps to reduce feelings of isolation and shows that you understand.

Examples:

• "It’s completely understandable to feel overwhelmed given everything you’re dealing with."
• "That sounds really tough. I can see why you’re feeling this way."
• "Your feelings are valid, and it’s okay to talk about them."

Offer Support Without Pressure

Let them know you’re available to help but avoid putting pressure on them to take any immediate action. Support should be offered in a way that empowers them to decide what they need.

Examples:

• "I’m here if you want to talk or if there’s anything you need."
• "What can I do to support you right now?"
• "I’m happy to help in any way that you feel comfortable with."

Encourage Professional Help If Needed

If appropriate, gently suggest that seeking professional help could be beneficial, but do so without making the person feel like they have to take this step immediately.

Examples:

• "Sometimes talking to a professional can really help. I can help you find someone if you’re interested."
• "It might be helpful to talk to someone who’s trained to support with this. What do you think?"
• "There are great resources available if you ever feel like you want to reach out for more help."

Follow Up

After the initial conversation, follow up to show that your concern wasn’t just a one-time thing. This helps build trust and reinforces your support.

Examples:

• "I wanted to check in again and see how you’re doing. Have things changed at all?"
• "I’ve been thinking about our conversation. How are you feeling today?"
• "Just a reminder that I’m here whenever you need to talk."

Wellity Training Support

Conversations that Count: Open Mental Health Communication

This training is dedicated to the art of fostering open discussions on mental health in the workplace, aiming to cultivate an environment where barriers are dismantled, and stigmas are challenged through genuine connections.

Participants will gains kills in establishing a supportive atmosphere, showcasing compassion, and championing mutual encouragement among colleagues. The focus is on actively working towards building connections that create a transformative space where colleagues feel empowered to share their experiences.

Objectives:

• Grasping the significance of workplace conversations surrounding mental health.
• Dismantling prevalent barriers and stigmas linked to mental health discussions.
• Cultivating adept listening skills to construct a secure space for colleagues.
• Strategic approaches to expressing empathy and compassion.
• Encouraging a team culture that actively supports and understands mental health challenges.

"I highly recommend the mental health communication training session to anyone looking to enhance their communication skills and support others in their wellbeing journey".

?? Register for our Awareness to Action: Suicide Prevention in the Workplace webinar in partnership with R;pple Suicide Prevention Charity, on the 10th September.