G U I DA N C E
B. Systemic initiatives with mental health benefits Several of the workplace-based interventions for mental health discussed in the next chapter (employee assistance programmes, peer support, Mental Health First Aid, mental health awareness and education campaigns and occupational health services) focus on building personal resilience and identifying and managing individual mental ill health. As a key primary intervention, workplace stressors also need to be addressed49,64,75, particularly in high-stress work environments such as Parliament. Given the unique challenges facing Parliamentarian mental health as outlined in the previous chapter, several systemic interventions should form an integral part of your Parliament’s mental health strategy: Figure 7: Systemic Initiatives with Mental Health Benefits Address Bullying, Harassment, Abuse & Victimisation
Ongoing Training
Systemic Initiatives
Adequate Induction
Address Unhealthy Work Patterns
Addressing workplace harassment, bullying and abuse Bullying behaviours in the workplace include harassment, undue exclusion, and unfair treatment such as assigning meaningless tasks or unrealistic deadlines, or micro-management78. Sexual harassment is also increasingly recognised as pervasive in many workplaces79–81, and Parliament is no exception48,50–53,80,82–84. Several Commonwealth Parliaments have recently been reported to increase their attention on addressing bullying, harassment and sexual harassment amongst Parliamentarians and Parliamentarian staff48,50,51,82,84. These abusive behaviours may lead to mental ill health, which can include sleep disturbances, personal relationship strain, loss of selfesteem, reduced social interaction48, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and burn-out78. In severe cases, victims may turn to suicide85,86. It may also have detrimental effects on worker productivity and employee relations48. Furthermore, when news about harassment in Parliament becomes public, it may undermine the reputation of Parliament and draw into question its commitment to respecting human rights87. The power imbalance inherent in the hierarchical structure of Parliament may lend itself particularly towards bullying and harassing behaviours48. Coupled with long-standing cultures of covering-up and lacklustre commitment to addressing these issues48,50,51, Parliaments face a critical task of profound change in their attitudes and actions towards ridding themselves from these toxic behaviours.
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