Mental health
Mental health in the lockdown and beyond When this is all over, will it be said that ‘it took a pandemic to put mental health where it should be – at the front and centre of daily considerations about working lives?’ Adrian Wakeling, Senior Policy Advisor at Acas, discusses Charities and stakeholders have been campaigning for a genuine parity between physical and mental health for decades. We may be social distancing to protect each other’s physical health, the NHS and social care, but what impact is the crisis having on our mental health and what can we do about it? The new normal is mentally challenging We don’t have to look very far for the causes of increased levels of poor mental health. Early findings form an IES survey of the well-being of employees working from home, paints a vivid picture of anxiety and stress: loss of sleep – 60 per cent are losing sleep due to worry; more drinking (alcohol consumption up 20 per cent) and less exercise (down 60 per cent); unhappiness with work-life balance (50 per cent) and a third frequently feeling isolated; worry about job security (21 per cent) and the health of
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Technology: a friend and a foe loved ones (41 per cent); and an increase Many people have wondered what the in musculoskeletal complaints, with survey current experience of this pandemic would respondents reporting new aches and have been like a few decades ago, without pains in the neck (58 per cent), shoulder the internet and social media? (56 per cent) and back (55 per cent). Of course, technology allows Although we all face many new us to stay connected. But it challenges, much has also also allows us to recreate stayed the same. Surveys Techno what we had before and of employees, such as lo allows u gy for many this is hours those from the CIPD, s to stay connec of Skype meetings regularly show that t instead of facework-life balance allows ued. But it also s to-face meetings. is a perennial top t o what w recreate And there is the concern. This may e h a d befor for man addictive nature of be heightened at e a technology which the moment – with Skype my this is hours nd of means that it takes the line between eet of face-ings instead a lot of self-discipline work and home to to turn off devices. being not so much meeting-face Technology can’t blurred as completely s solve the connectivity rubbed out for many problem on its own. I have of us – but it very much a heard of colleagues having virtual dilemma of modern working life.
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