3<\/p>\n
Assignment 2
Synthesis Literature Review<\/p>\n
Mental health is a significant problem in contemporary society and can affect people of all ages. However, this paper focuses on the working population, who are integral to the country’s economy. According to the CDC (2019), one in five American adults reported a form of mental illness in 2016. These issues significantly undermine productivity when they occur in the workplace. Thus, attention should be paid to addressing them to minimize their negative implications on the organization and employees. For this reason, many employers are accepting responsibility for their workers’ mental health and investing in appropriate interventions. A review of the causes of workplace mental health issues shows that solutions like developing better workplace culture, investing in in-house counseling services, and improving work-life balance can help address the problem and optimize employee well-being. <\/p>\n
Causes of Workplace Mental Health Challenges<\/p>\n
Mental health issues in an organization can be traced to multiple factors, including the firms’ policies and the interpersonal relationships within the organization. According to Andersen, Svendsen, Nielsen, Brinkmann, Rugulies, and Madsen (2022), institutions that do not embody ideals that put the workers’ well-being first are more likely to have more psychological health incidences. This argument is acceptable since the rules an employer uses can determine how much stress employees feel. For instance, a supervisor who overworks personnel will likely see more burnout cases. Notably, these policies are especially influential because of how they shape the organization’s culture and determine how personnel relate. Marenus, Marzec, and Chen (2022) ascertain this observation when they found that organizational culture impacts employees’ commitment to the firm, job satisfaction, stress levels, depression, and burnout. Notably, this idea is founded on the fact that the ideals an organization embodies will shape how it treats its employees. Hence, when there is an unfavorable culture, the chances of equally undesirable mental health well-being are high. <\/p>\n
Solution 1: Developing a Healthy Workplace Culture<\/p>\n
As noted before, the organization’s culture is a dominant force impacting employees’ mental health, necessitating a culture that focuses on optimizing these workers’ well-being. According to Andersen et al. (2022), one way of addressing this issue is by creating a culture that values mental health. The source also argues that this model must be accompanied by efforts promoting awareness of psychological health, speaking up when facing challenges, and recognizing practices that expose employees to risks of mental health issues. Thus, this approach focuses on making the organization better suited to accommodate the employees’ psychological health needs. Hence, firms employing this tactic often invest in training and education sessions that allow employees to be more aware and empowered. <\/p>\n
Similarly, they insist on managers taking an active role in addressing psychological health needs. Thus, in the wake of a growing demand for better consideration of workers’ well-being, creating a healthy workplace culture remains one of the most dominant approaches to achieving this goal. Ficarra, Rubino, and Morote (2020) support this observation, noting a significant correlation between organizational culture and employee happiness ratings. Thus, formulating policies and belief systems that encourage happiness by improving interpersonal relationships, better opportunities for everyone, appreciation for diversity, and increasing managerial responsibility for employees can significantly improve mental health among personnel. <\/p>\n
Solution 2: In-House Counseling Services<\/p>\n
Apart from providing a healthy workplace culture, organizations should also invest in better interventions for employees that struggle with mental health issues. This model can be viewed as a means of actively taking responsibility for workers who are struggling. According to Mondal and Mehra (2022), this practice can take various forms, ranging from employing specialized personnel to help employees, implementing wellness programs, and using digitalized models that offer more privacy. The first option involves specifying personnel that can handle mental health issues by offering counseling services. A firm can employ a professional specifically tasked with this role or train existing officials to handle this duty. The second model involves well-being sessions that allow employees to speak about and address their problems. This model would also require a professional to guide the workers. Lastly, the digitized model employs modern technologies to allow employees to seek help anonymously using specialized software. <\/p>\n
In each of these instances, the organization takes an active role in addressing mental health. Thus, it is a sign that the firm wants to invest in its employees’ well-being. Besides, it helps that hiring professionals can ensure that the employees get the best possible assistance. Fong and Tripathi (2021) agree with this observation, noting that these interventions are well-suited to address multiple issues that can cause stress and undermine employee wellness. For instance, interpersonal conflict, domestic issues, and job satisfaction can cause stress and anxiety. However, professionals can provide personalized assistance, allowing employees to overcome challenges undermining their well-being. <\/p>\n
Solution 3: Work-Life Balance<\/p>\n
Work-life balance refers to how well an individual can manage the complicated interaction between personal\/domestic environments and duties and their role within the organization. According to Ayar, Karaman, and Karaman (2022), failure to balance these two environments increases the chances of undesirable outcomes in one or both instances. For instance, the individual may not have enough time for their family or be less productive if they do not feel their job allows them to achieve the satisfaction they want in other aspects of life. As a result, helping employees achieve better work-life balance increases their chances of being more comfortable and productive. Otherwise, the likelihood that the stress failing to reach this equilibrium would increase the chances of mental health issues like burnout, anxiety, and depression.<\/p>\n
Resolving this matter would require carefully assessing employees’ needs and making adjustments where necessary to achieve the desired impacts. Mensah and Adjei (2020) suggest that providing flexible work hours and role descriptions are among the elements that should be targeted when pursuing a work-life balance. The focus of these tactics is to reduce the conflict between work and personal life. For instance, an individual would have more time for their family if they did not have to work late into the night all the time. Similarly, employees may need breaks to attend to family concerns such as a child’s graduation. Providing allowances for unpredictable and predictable personal life events can help alleviate the stress of strained work-life balance. <\/p>\n
The employer’s role in ensuring the employees’ well-being is gaining more importance. Therefore, a workplace that does not address this matter is more likely to experience lowered productivity stemming from mental health issues among personnel. Hence, firms should invest in solutions to this matter. One approach is creating a healthy workplace culture that allows employees to interact optimally without suffering psychological issues. Such a culture can address multiple needs like career advancement and conflict, ensuring they do negatively impact employees. Secondly, investing in counseling services can help resolve mental health issues before they escalate. For example, the organization can hire a professional, train one official, or implement technologies that allow workers to seek help anonymously. Lastly, investing in better work-life balance would help the employees deal with the stress of fulfilling professional and personal needs. These three solutions are some of the most common ways to address workplace mental health issues. However, research is necessary to cover these interventions comprehensively. <\/p>\n
References<\/p>\n
Andersen, M. F., Svendsen, P. A., Nielsen, K., Brinkmann, S., Rugulies, R., & Madsen, I. E. H. (2022). Influence at work is a key factor for mental health\u2013but what do contemporary employees in knowledge and relational work mean by \u201cinfluence at work\u201d?.\u00a0International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being,\u00a017(1), 2054513. DOI: 10.1080\/17482631.2022.2054513<\/p>\n
Ayar, D., Karaman, M. A., & Karaman, R. (2022). Work-Life balance and mental health needs of health professionals during COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey.\u00a0International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction,\u00a020(1), 639-655. DOI: 10.1007\/s11469-021-00717-6<\/p>\n
CDC. (2019). Mental health in the workplace. Retrieved from https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/workplacehealthpromotion\/tools-resources\/workplace-health\/mental-health\/index.html<\/p>\n
Ficarra, L., Rubino, M. J., & Morote, E. S. (2020). Does Organizational Culture Affect Employee Happiness?.\u00a0Journal for Leadership and Instruction,\u00a019(2), 38-47. Retrieved from https:\/\/files.eric.ed.gov\/fulltext\/EJ1282787.pdf<\/p>\n
Fong, C., & Tripathi, S. (2021). Multicultural workplace counselling and the impact of wealth, health, ability and time (WHAT) on mental health under COVID-19 pandemic.\u00a0Psychology,\u00a012, 1743-1755. DOI: 10.4236\/psych.2021.1211105<\/p>\n
Marenus, M. W., Marzec, M., & Chen, W. (2022). Association of workplace culture of health and employee emotional wellbeing.\u00a0International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health,\u00a019(19), 12318. DOI: 10.3390\/ijerph191912318<\/p>\n
Mensah, A., & Adjei, N. K. (2020). Work-life balance and self-reported health among working adults in Europe: a gender and welfare state regime comparative analysis.\u00a0BMC Public Health,\u00a020(1), 1-14. DOI: 10.1186\/s12889-020-09139-w<\/p>\n
Mondal, P., & Mehra, P. (2022). Mental health at corporate workplace, from stigma to awareness and technological aid\u2013an unchecked crisis.\u00a0Journal of Positive School Psychology, 3227-3235. Retrieved from https:\/\/www.journalppw.com\/index.php\/jpsp\/article\/view\/3860\/2528<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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