Mental Health Now Blog > Mental health training  - good for employees and good for business | March 2019

Did you know:

• that mental health problems are now the single biggest cause of workplace sickness absence? ¹
   
• that 1 in 5 of us reported experiencing symptoms of common mental health problems (such as anxiety, depression and panic) in the previous week? ²
   
• that more than 15 million working days are lost to stress, anxiety and depression every year? ³
   
• that the estimated cost to business is more than £34 billion – and that presenteeism (reduced productivity) accounts for double the cost of actual absences? ⁴

Mental Health First Aid – training employees to support each other

Mental Health First Aid equips employees to provide help and support to colleagues experiencing mental health issues – in the same way that physical first aid training has provided this support in workplaces for years. 

Over the course of a two-day training course, participants gains skills which will help them to take care of their own mental health, and to listen to and support each other. They learn how to spot the signs and symptoms of mental health problems, and to listen, respond and reassure colleagues who might be experiencing difficulties – in a crisis situation or even before one develops.

Breaking the stigma

Mental Health First Aiders can help to encourage open conversations around mental health in the workplace, helping to break the stigma which can surround mental health conditions. Talking about mental health is a vital part of creating a healthy and supportive culture, helping people to seek help earlier. Good mental health support can also enable people experiencing mental health problems to continue to thrive in their job, helping business to retain great employees and minimise the impact of both presenteeism and absence. 

Investing in your teams and your business

Providing good mental health support within the workplace is both a social responsibility and also good business sense. When you invest in mental health training, you invest in providing the skills and support to help your teams to feel valued and supported and to create an environment in which people are able to thrive.

At Mental Health Now, we would love to support you on this journey, and encourage you to take a look at our range of public and in-house courses to find the right route for your business.