Could your workplace benefit from a mental health first aider?

For employees across the UK, the pandemic has had a lasting impression on their mental health. This is why mental health first aiders are more important then ever in supporting employees in the workplace 

Looking after the mental wellbeing of your employees is paramount to a productive workforce as, according to Survey Monkey, happier employees are more engaged, and more engaged employees show increased productivity and have a lower rate of absence from work. 

According to Mental Health First Aid England mental ill health costs UK employers approximately £56bn each year – this breaks down as approximately £28bm from presenteeism, £22bn from staff turnover and £6bn from absenteeism. However, for every £1 spent by employers on mental health interventions, employers could get £5.30 back in reduced absence, presenteeism and staff turnover. 

There are a number of interventions that employers can make to prioritise the mental health of their staff and boost overall employee wellbeing – including training a mental health first aider. 

What are mental health first aiders, and what do they do?

Mental health first aiders are a point of contact for employees experiencing a mental health issue. Whilst they are not trained to be therapists or counsellors, they are there to have initial conversations and support employees to get appropriate help. The responsibilities of a mental health first aider include:

• Encouraging positivity and wellbeing in the workplace. 
• Recognising the signs of mental ill health or emotional distress.
• Reaching out to colleagues who may be experiencing mental ill health. 
• Signposting colleagues to appropriate places for support (eg. GP online websites, therapy, support groups).
• Escalating to the appropriate emergency services if necessary.
• Maintaining confidentiality as appropriate.
• Completing critical incident documents as and when necessary.
• Protecting themselves while performing their role.

Offering mental health support through a mental health first aider shows employees that their employers take the wellbeing of their staff seriously – and can, ultimately, build a happier, healthier and more productive workforce.