Mental Health Awareness – are some people too aware of their mental health?

Over the course of this Mental Health Awareness month, we at OMhAS have been trying to devote some extra time to the things which help to maintain and improve our wellbeing. The lovely weather (for much of the time) has made it much easier for us to spend time outdoors, getting some well-needed vitamin D and an exercise boost, and the Bank holidays have allowed extra time to spend with loved ones, sharing stories, laughs and some celebratory lunches. However, in both our business and personal lives one subject keeps cropping up, and it is this: are younger people too focussed on their mental health?

Employer clients across a wide variety of sectors are telling us that they are getting increasingly frustrated that younger people are talking too much about mental health and medicalising emotions/reactions/ symptoms unnecessarily. This topic has even been the subject of a recent Times newspaper article. So, we have to ask, is it really the case that some sectors of the workforce are over-sharing about, or focussing too heavily on, their mental health? And if so, what does that mean for employers?

Over -sharing?

Put bluntly, the statistics categorically do not back up these concerns. According to MIND, only just over half of people (55%) who have poor mental health, disclose this to their employer. Almost half of the workforce experiencing mental health problems are not talking about it to management. Stigma is cited as the biggest reason people are unwilling to speak up. And specifically, according to the Priory Group, 35% of young people (18-25) seek no help with a mental health problem. According to hrnews, nearly half of employees feel their managers are ill-equipped to handle mental health conversations.

Even if people are prepared to disclose their mental health challenges, a pretty frightening 33%-45% of managers feel untrained and ill-equipped to deal with the problem (MHFA England).

Hyper-focus on mental wellbeing?

Some employers may groan at the idea of publishing (yet more) information about mental health, but educating people on how to stay well, how to spot signs and where and when to seek help, is crucial in any organisation invested in the wellbeing of its staff. Providing access/signposting people to accurate, specialist information about mental health will correct misinformation and can divert people from worrying unnecessarily. And in the case of employees who have genuine concerns about their own wellbeing, they can access appropriate help from support organisations which may help them to recover before the problem worsens. Early intervention is nearly always better than leaving a problem to fester.

For this reason, at OMhAS, we believe that the best starting point in building positive workplace culture on wellbeing, is to have a really great mental health policy.   Making sure your organisation provides Information about wellbeing, recognising signs of illness and how to access help and support, is vital too. Training managers in how to fulfil the many facets of their important role in organisational wellbeing is paramount, as it will enable them to signpost the people who genuinely need professional help, to the correct support organisations, and it means that any employee relations issues can be dealt with confidently and sensitively.

Circling back to the original issue, if younger people are talking more about their mental health, that is probably no bad thing. Talking raises awareness and, over time, reduces stigma. The key question for employers is…are your managers confident in knowing how to deal with issues once they have been raised? If not, we are here to help! Drop us a line at info@OMhAS.co.uk.

Jennifer Nicol & Joanna Atkinson, Directors

OMhAS

27 May 2025