Mental Health is no COVID fad

One of the good things that came out of the COVID-19 pandemic was that mental health came out of the shadows and was placed firmly center stage. And while mental health awareness might be promoted by various governments and organizations at different times of the year, focusing on mental health for just a day or a month isn’t enough. Every day is a good day to do something about it, and today is as good a day as any to start.

It’s tempting to think that because the worst of the pandemic is over, that mental health has automatically improved. This is simply not the case. Chances are that many of your employees and leaders are struggling with mental illnesses – in the US, for instance, more than 19% of adults struggle with some type of anxiety disorder, and mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorder affect nearly 10% of adults.

In South Africa, as many as one in six of my fellow citizens suffers from anxiety, depression or substance-use problems, excluding more serious conditions such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, according to the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG).

Research has also shown how debilitating this is for young people on the continent in particular: a review published in PLOS ONE showed a high incidence of mental disorders and mental health symptoms among adolescents in 16 sub-Saharan African countries – far higher than that in high-income countries. The review estimates that one in seven children and adolescents experiences significant psychological challenges, and almost 10% qualify for a psychiatric diagnosis.

Of course, we know that Africa has been through a great deal of insecurity, humanitarian crisis, war and other traumas – for centuries. Many African countries still face this as their current reality.

What makes this even more tragic, is that in 2022, the World Health Organization reported that 85% of those living in developing countries had untreated mental health issues. This is partly due to lack of access to treatment, but stigma and denial also have a role to play – many Africans simply don’t believe that they are prone to these illnesses.

It's clear we have a problem on our hands – and we cannot simply sit back and hope our employees – and broader communities – will sort themselves out. As individuals and as businesses, we all have a role to play.

So, what can we, as leaders do? How can we be more human in our dealings with our human resources – the people who are the heart of our organizations? Surely we’re just one part of people’s lives? Well, new data suggests that we have a significant role to play: research out of the Workforce Institute at UKG found that nearly 70% of people say their manager has more impact on their mental health than their therapist or their doctor. That’s sobering data if you’re in any position of leadership.

Experts tell us there are a few powerful things we can do to help: we can show individuals who are struggling respect and acceptance, we can advocate for mental health within our circles of influence – whether that’s at work, at home, or in our communities. And we can learn more about mental health as part of a growth mindset, as well as supporting those affected.

And we can talk about mental health – don’t let it retreat back into the shadows. The days of not talking about it are in the past. Make sure your organization is a safe space for employees to talk openly about their mental health challenges without discrimination, so that you don’t lose out on valuable talent, when they no longer feel they can bring their whole selves to work.

And if you need any further reason for prioritizing mental wellbeing, numerous studies have showed that workplaces that foster good mental health see increased productivity and engagement from their employees – leading to a healthier bottom line.

On a much broader level, we can help to secure funding for research to understand the scale and complexities of our continent’s mental health challenges. Too often we just don’t have accurate health data about Africans, and have to extrapolate from data out of developed countries, which is probably not reflective of our own challenges.

We can also advocate for greater spend on mental health treatment, but also for more education about mental illness – that it’s not a supernatural affliction, but can be treated by modern medicine and psychotherapy. Education, in particular, is something we can institute in the workplace through employee assistance programmes.

But most importantly, we need to recognise that provision of such basics as electricity and safety, as well as steps to alleviate poverty, are crucial for mental health – it’s as simple as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. We might not be able to influence those factors on a national scale in our respective countries, but if we behave as responsible corporate citizens in the areas where our businesses operate, we can help to uplift our immediate communities, and those of our employees, and foster better mental wellbeing as a result.