Employees' mental well-being is as important as their physical health

I heard devastating news this week about a close family friend who passed away at age 19. This inspired me to write about a very relevant topic in today's workplace: mental-well being.

When someone we know has a physical illness such as cancer or a heart attack, the common reaction is, "What can we do?" When someone comes to us and says they are depressed or have an addiction, we look at them strangely and ask what is wrong with them.

Mental health is something with which I've personally struggled. Since age 11, I have suffered from debilitating anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder that resulted in symptoms as bad as auditory hallucinations. I've never publicly discussed this until today.

According to the American Psychology Association, nearly one in five U.S. adults age 18 or older reported a mental illness and 71% of adults reported at least one symptom of stress, such as a headache. These types of illnesses end up affecting the workforce if not properly addressed. The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that depression interferes with a person's ability to complete physical job tasks about 20% of the time and reduces cognitive performance about 35% of the time.

But the bigger issue is that even when these illnesses and symptoms are identified, they often aren't treated. The American Journal of Psychiatry reports, "only 57% of employees who report moderate depression and 40% of those who report severe depression receive treatment to control depression symptoms."

According to the Mental Health Foundation, addressing well-being in the workplace increases productivity by 12%.

What can employers do to help improve the mental well-being of their employees?

1. Show gratitude to employees. Celebrate small and big wins all the time.

2. Create transparent, supportive cultures. Share feelings. Talk openly about stress, sleep, substances, diet, conflict and relationships.

3. Vulnerability begets vulnerability. Encourage a culture that allows managers and employees to share personal or emotional situations without judgment.

4. Provide education on mental health. People don't know what they don't know. Mental illness is more common than people think and there are ways to get support.

5. Mental health days. People sometimes need to recharge.

6. Company initiatives and programs.: off-sites, meditation, gym memberships. Encourage employees to bond outside of work.

7. See something, say something. Encourage co-workers to check on one another often. Share if they have concerns about each other in any way, anonymously if needed. The National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255.

Workers who suffer from depression miss an average of 4.8 workdays over a three-month period. More than 200 million lost workdays are caused by depression, and it's estimated to be costing employers between $17 billion and $44 billion each year.

Lastly, it takes a village to deal with mental health. It's not just about family and friends, but also about employers (30% of an average human's life is spent working). If you are part of that village, you will improve your company's profitability, improve cohesion and might just help save a life.