Introduction to Care Worker Mental Health
As a leader of care workers you know the strain they are under. The mental health of care workers can be affected by factors including working hours, heavy workload and exposure to traumatic events. For instance, all types of care workers often navigate challenges such as starting their careers with no experience and limited knowledge, managing anxiety that this brings, coping with extreme work demands and all this whilst dealing with ill patients[6].
Addressing these health challenges is essential to ensure that care workers can deliver high quality patient care. Implementing measures, like flexible-working options, carers leave policies, childcare voucher schemes and other initiatives that cater to caregiving roles can significantly impact staff well being and productivity [2].
In order to support the well being of care workers and those they assist it can be beneficial to offer managers opportunities to attend training focused on health. This helps address the challenges faced by care workers in the UK ensuring they can deliver high quality care. Throughout this article we explore the topic in more depth.
Understanding the Mental Health Landscape in the UK Care Sector
The care sector in the UK is currently grappling with a health crisis as care workers experience levels of stress and burnout. A study on healthcare worker well being during the COVID 19 pandemic revealed that stress and mental health challenges are leading causes of sickness absence in the UK within work and social care sectors.
Care workers encounter many (many!) sources of stress. Think of them a triggers that impact their mental well being. These include long working hours, large workloads, exposure to traumatic events and a lack of management support due to staff shortages.
The Impact of Mental Health Problems on Employee Performance
The impact of health on employee performance, productivity and the quality of care can be both direct and indirect. A workplace study reveals that mental health issues have an influence on employers and businesses. This includes increased absenteeism, negative effects on productivity and profits as higher costs associated with addressing these challenges[9].
In industries such as healthcare employees experiencing health can suffer from burnout, which severely hampers their ability to contribute meaningfully in both personal and professional aspects[1]. Job related stress negatively impacts the quality of life for nurses overall well being. It can also overshadow their performance in providing care potentially affecting patient outcomes[10].
The well being of employees is closely tied to job satisfaction. Workplaces that promote working arrangements provide support for caregivers through leave policies or childcare vouchers. Implement other initiatives to support caregiving responsibilities significantly impact staff members mental health and overall productivity[4]. Offering managers opportunities to undergo training that supports staff dealing with health issues or promotes the well being of all employees can also be beneficial[11].
Legal and Ethical Responsibilities
In the United Kingdom employers are legally required to prioritise and safeguard the health and well being of their employees. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 acts as the law governing workplace health and safety. It outlines that employers have a duty to ensure, reasonably as possible, the health, safety and welfare of their employees [12][14][16]. Employers must. Address risks and stress factors that could affect employees mental health, such as workplace harassment, heavy workloads, insufficient support and discriminatory practices [12][13][15][16].
Employers have a responsibility to care for their employees’ mental well being. This means they must do everything to support their employees health, safety and well being [12][15]. Employers must treat physical health with importance without discriminating against any employee (or candidate) with a mental illness that is classified as a disability [13][15].
Identifying and Addressing Warning Signs
Neglecting the duty of care can result in claims, financial penalties and damage to reputation [12]. Employers should take an approach by fostering a work environment providing support for mental health concerns and implementing comprehensive policies and procedures to identify and mitigate risks related to mental health [12][16].
Recognizing and Addressing Red Flags
In the caregiving profession it’s important to acknowledge that care workers may face health challenges, which can impact their ability to perform well and provide quality care. It’s crucial to identify these indicators and offer support to ensure that care workers can deliver top notch care to their patients.
Some common signs of health difficulties, among care workers include;
- Changes in mood or behaviour like being irritated, anxious or feeling down
- More frequent absences or lateness
- Decreased productivity or a decline in the quality of work
- Changes in appetite or sleep patterns
- Avoidance of social interactions or withdrawing from colleagues
- Increased use of drugs or alcohol as a coping mechanism
- Expressing feelings of hopelessness or helplessness
- Discussing thoughts about suicide or self harm
If an employer notices any of these warning signs they should approach the employee with empathy and genuine concern. Employers should strive to create a supportive environment where employees feel comfortable discussing their health struggles. Offering access to resources like employee assistance programs counselling services and training on health aid is also important.
Employers should encourage employees to seek help when needed and provide guidance on how they can access health services.
Employers should also collaborate with their employees to create an action plan that recognizes the indicators of their health concerns, factors that cause stress, the potential effects on their work, emergency contacts and the required support [18].
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” – Benjamin Franklin.
Taking a proactive approach in educating and raising awareness about mental health conditions is crucial. At Gallantium we specialise in providing support packages that focus on workplace mental health topics each month. We take a comprehensive approach includes presentations, dramatised case studies, podcasts, written support guides, top support tips videos and exclusive articles designed to assist leaders and workers in understanding these topics effectively.
Our resources aim to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and encourage changes in behaviour. Our team, composed of experts in health, contributes to the development of our content. We ensure that our content is engaging and accessible for all employees catering to learning styles. We strongly believe in offering solutions that assist employers in managing mental well being concerns before they become overwhelming.
Our approach involves delivering content on a basis allowing employers to consistently demonstrate care and support for health management. This approach ensures that mental health remains a priority providing managers and employees with the support and knowledge to maintain a safe and healthy work environment permanently.
What you can take away as a leader of care workers of all types, be that a team leader for a support worker, occupational therapist, social worker, or registered nurse, maybe you even lead an entire nursing team, the main thing is to let them own mental health, provide access to mental health services, have time for self care, by providing necessary emotional support which has potential to have a huge impact on their own life and make a real difference.
References:
[1] https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1472-6963-13-188
[2] https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/publications/how-support-mental-health-work
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7844154/
[4] https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.679397
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9264376/
[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7844154/
[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3062016/
[10] https://bmcnurs.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12912-022-00852-y
[11] https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/publications/how-support-mental-health-work
[15] https://www.acas.org.uk/supporting-mental-health-workplace
[16] https://www.davidsonmorris.com/employers-duty-of-care-stress/
