BAPO Admin

The theme for this year’s mental health awareness week is anxiety. Pressures such as exams, work, relationships, life events, starting a new job, or unemployment can create feelings of anxiety. In addition to the standard life stresses, we are recovering from the impact of Covid-19 as well as dealing with a cost-of-living crisis.

The mental health foundation commissioned a survey in November 2022, they surveyed 3000 adults aged 18 and over and found that 29% of adults experienced stress, 34% experienced anxiety and 10% said they felt hopeless because of financial worries during the previous month.[1]

We can all experience anxiety, however if it escalates it can become a mental health issue, therefore ways to deal with anxiety can improve our mental health.

The mental health foundation has complied a list of helpful strategies to combat anxiety including breathing techniques, mindfulness, movement, and reflection in this link. MHAW23-coping-with-anxiety-tips.pdf (mentalhealth.org.uk)

Those who manage staff play a key role in improving workplace wellbeing, parity of esteem is valuing mental health on a par with physical health, this can increase employee resilience and engagement and reduce sickness absence rates. Mental ill health, musculoskeletal injuries, stress and acute medical conditions are the most common causes of long-term absence (four weeks or more) from the CIPD health and wellbeing at work survey.[2]

Katie Prosser’s 2019 Orthotic job satisfaction survey, indicated that both NHS and company orthotists face similar issues of attrition, feeling undervalued and high workload pressures. The strongest predicting variable for intent to leave was how well orthotists feel they were treated by their employer.[3] 

A Leeds university review into effective treatment and prevention of burnout and stress found that organisational interventions produce longer-lasting effects than individual approaches, with changes to workload or working practices appearing to reduce stressors and factors that can lead to burnout.[4]

Mental health first aid England have produced a guide for line managers to use as part of their toolkit in supporting employees.

Line Managers Resource Screen.pdf (windows.net)

 

[1] Stress, anxiety and hopelessness over personal finances widespread across UK – new mental health survey | Mental Health Foundation

[2] Health and wellbeing at work 2021: survey report (cipd.org)

[3]Job satisfaction among NHS and private orthotists: a cross-sectional comparative study | Request PDF (researchgate.net)

[4] 25022016_Burnout_Rapid_Review_2015709.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)