Mental Health is Physical Health
Bob Bradway
I’m excited to be leading Amgen as we harness dramatic advances in science and technology to serve patients suffering from serious diseases.
A report recently issued by the American Heart Association affirms the connection between mental and physical health. It calls for major employers to take the lead in changing the state of mental health today, notably, by ending the stigma associated with mental illness.
That’s an urgent call. Mental illnesses are not just incapacitating by themselves. They are also firmly linked to much greater risks of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, and COPD. Just the prevalence of mental illness should sound alarms. Approximately one American in five will report a mental illness this year. These impacts ripple through families, communities and workplaces. Yet too many people are reluctant, even afraid, to seek advice or treatment, often because of shame or stigma.
The time has come for new approaches, and these can start in the workplace, where we spend thousands of hours each year, most of it in collaboration with others.
That’s why I am proud to place Amgen’s name on the roster of major companies endorsing the latest report from the CEO Roundtable of the American Heart Association. This report, Mental Health: A Workplace in Crisis, sheds new light on how mental health issues affect us in the workplace, and how we can help employees facing mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. The involvement of the American Heart Association reflects the deep connection between mental health and cardiovascular health. The two are entwined.
The new report provides seven actionable strategies for employers, starting with the will of leaders to make change happen. Amgen is recognized in the report as a role model for others to follow in building a healthy workforce on all fronts. We have a variety of programs and benefits that can help employees recognize mental health issues and open the doors to effective treatment. More important, our values as a company make clear the importance of respect, understanding, compassion and mutual aid.
There’s more to do, including working with allies in the community to amplify efforts to treat and prevent mental illness. I urge everyone to read the AHA report, and to follow its recommendations.
Let’s all start on the same page: health is health. By encouraging a total approach to health and ending the last vestiges of stigma around mental illness, we can make our workplaces better, and our work ever more meaningful.
Retired
6 年CISD / CISM and all their comprehensive ancillary Mental-Health services are a critical component of an overall comprehensive Medical-System and should be apart-of, & included-in, as many Medical-Decision Budgets as realistically feasible whenever possible??
Helping to create Healthy Cultures and Emotional Inclusivity in Organisations | Wellbeing|Leadership Coach, Speaker, Consultant | Working with Businesses & 1-1 | HeartMath Coach | Elephants & Riders Practitioner
6 年Not forgetting that what we eat is one of the biggest factors if not the most important, in both physical and mental health.
We serve to ensure health
6 年Healthy society is build on healthy minds......
Biomedical investor and experienced non executive director
6 年Great article. We at Stepjockey create activity communities in the workplace. As has been commented elsewhere there is a good link between activity (not necessarily exercise) and mental health. Gamification of stair climbing and associated activity is becoming popular amongst employees of our corporate partners. It appeals to all employees and seems particularly popular in financial services, property developers and managers.
Thank you Bob Bradway to bringing attention to this very important topic!