{"id":4195,"date":"2024-02-22T09:00:04","date_gmt":"2024-02-22T09:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gplondonw1.com\/?p=4195"},"modified":"2024-02-21T20:42:58","modified_gmt":"2024-02-21T20:42:58","slug":"supporting-mental-health-at-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gplondonw1.com\/news\/supporting-mental-health-at-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Supporting mental health at work"},"content":{"rendered":"
At any time, one in six adults in the UK will be experiencing a mental health condition \u2013 ranging from anxiety and stress to medically diagnosed conditions such as depression.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Occupational health focuses on how work and the work environment impact employees\u2019 health, both physical and mental and how this can negatively affect their ability to do their job. <\/strong>GP London\u2019s Dr Caroline Wall<\/a> explains how often simple workplace adjustments can facilitate job retention and return to work.<\/strong><\/p><\/div> <\/a><\/p><\/div><\/p>\n We’re seeing a lot of patients absent from work with anxiety and depression currently. One of the take-home points of the occupational health<\/a> diploma is that it\u2019s better to be in work than out of work from a mental health perspective. Our role is to managing return to work without causing a worsening of their symptoms.<\/p>\n The first step is an assessment, either face-to-face or on Zoom, with the with the employee. We discuss what they feel they could manage. We then must offset that with what the employer wants which is usually for them to return to full-time work as soon as possible. But often a phased return is more likely to succeed than jumping back into full-time work.<\/p>\n This can mean rest days in between to help people ease in, particularly if they’ve had a long time off. We might look at reduced working hours initially to avoid traveling at peak times, which can be a big trigger particularly for those suffering from anxiety. Another option is working from home which can mean avoiding many of the stressors within the office environment.<\/p>\n