Psychological Wellbeing, from Reactive to Proactive...

Written by Quentin Hearn - Group Manager OHS and Gary Whittaker - General Manager - Staffing ServicesWA, SA & NT, Chandler Macleod Group

As the GM of Occupational Health and Safety at Chandler Macleod Group (CMG), every morning, the first email waiting for me contains the incident log from the previous 24 hours. Due to our large number of employees working across most industries in Australia, there is usually a variety of incidents. Fortunately the vast majority is not serious; however, this does not make the list any easier to read.

Every now and then one incident jumps out of the screen, its message delivered with such clarity that it pushes all other distractions aside. This story is about one such incident.

A CMG employee, who was concerned about the mental wellbeing of a workmate, discussed his concerns with the client site supervisor. The affected employee was going through a difficult time in his private life and appeared very distressed. The client supervisor acted immediately and asked the affected employee to leave the workshop floor, finding a quiet place where both could talk freely. During this conversation the supervisor learned of the difficulties faced by the employee and the alarming state of his mental health. This discussion lead to the supervisor contacting the employee’s father, who drove to the workplace and took over care of his son. It was arranged for an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) professional to visit the father’s home the same day to work with the affected employee. This intervention worked, with the employee returning to work after treatment.

Metaphorically, the workmate and supervisor put their arms around the unwell employee and protected him from the passing storm.

Sounds straight forward with a positive outcome, so why did this particular incident impact me more than others?

Approximately three months earlier, CMG lost one of our employees when a self-harm incident at a client site resulted in her passing away. It was one of those moments in time that sucks the oxygen out of any room, devastating the loved ones of the deceased and those who were close to the incident (from both the physical and operational perspectives). One moment in time, one sudden decision made while overwhelmed by private issues lead to an irreversible tragedy.

On that day, a workmate concerned about the mental well-being of our employee discussed her concerns with a client site supervisor. The affected employee was going through difficult times personally and appeared very distressed. On this occasion, the supervisor did what he believed was the right thing and reduced the affected employee’s workload in an attempt to reduce stress. During the morning shift, our employee succumbed to her mental state.

The message is clear and unequivocal. Just like a serious physical injury, recognizing distress linked to poor mental health is a stop work moment. There is no room for doubt or hesitation. Be proactive and protect the distressed individual from the passing storm.

‘All of Me’, part of the solution?

To reduce the negative affects of depression, substance misuse, anxiety disorders and work-related stress, a three-pronged approach is required: 

1. Reduce stigma

2. Train employees in mental health literacy

3. Promote help-seeking

To this end, All of Me and CMG have entered into a strategic partnership to help enhance psychological well-being and encourage open communication and understanding about mental health.

The All of Me app takes a proactive approach, engaging the user in animated scenarios to build awareness of symptoms and responses to poor mental health in others (and themselves). The “gameification” of this app encourages the user to suggest solutions during the animated scenarios and participate in a self-assessment.  

All of Me can be accessed via any mobile device.

In conjunction with All of Me and Edith Cowan University, CMG will be launching the largest ever e-mental health study. The study will involve a workforce of over 3,000 across Western Australia, South Australia and Northern Territory and involve training modules around ‘Organisational Change and Burnout’ and ‘Stress and Alcohol’ over a 6-month period, launching on March 17th.