Male Mental Health: Why It Matters in the Workplace

Male Mental Health:
Why It Matters in the
Workplace
Prepared by: B. Fontaine, Jr., CIH, CSP, FAIHA
February 24, 2020 – Johns Hopkins University ERC

Disclaimer
• The following presentation is based on the current level of knowledge and
understanding of male mental health issues in the workplace.
• Not all issues are discussed due to the length of presentation.
• This training doesn’t replace site or company specific training on the
recognition and control of hazards in the workplace.
• Photos and videos shown may depict situations that are not compliant with
applicable OSHA and other requirements.
• It is the responsibility of the employer and its employees to comply with all
applicable OSHA regulations and build best work practices.
Copyright @ 2020 Windsor Consulting Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Learning Outcomes
• Learn the warning signs and types of mental health disorders
• Understand public campaigns and high-profile stories of men suffering
in silence
• Workplace stress and human performance conflict as employers realize
the risk
• New focus on the consequences of the toxic work environment that
directly and indirectly affects occupational health and safety
• Adverse social, political, and economic events affect prosperity while
positive culture and training improves long-term outcomes

Introduction
• Stigma of mental illness in a market segments dominated by men
• Affect industries like manufacture and construction
• Lack of openness about personal feelings and confinement of emotional
intelligence
• Studies show financial burden is increasing with healthcare cost
• Global problem based on unintended consequences
• Stress, anxiety and depression are the main concerns for men

Introduction
• Mental illness is different from mental health – not interchangeable
• Mental illness affects both men and women but the prevalence is lower
in men
• Men with mental illness are less likely to receive medical treatment
• Men are more likely to die from suicide than women because of the
hidden despair
• Men and women can develop most of the same mental disorders and
conditions but may experience different symptoms

Men and Mental Health
• Feared reaction by their managers
• Felt their managers would look on them less favorably
• Most men take time off work for an injury or flu, few take time off for
mental health reasons
• Men are more likely to self-medicate using alcohol or illegal drugs
• Men are almost three times more likely than women to become alcohol
dependent (8.7% of men verses 3.3% of women)

Disparities in Underserved People
• Approximately 15% of adults aged 60 and over suffer from a mental or
behavioral health condition (WHO, 2016)
• Studies (2017) show ethnic minority populations are same risk for mental
health conditions as their white counterparts
• Returning military personnel suffer from more from PTSD, TBI, depression,
substance abuse disorders and social withdrawal
• Rural populations show 18.7% of residents (6.5 million people) had a
diagnosable mental health disorder

Real Reason Why Men Don’t Talk
About Mental Health
• Men less likely to be diagnosed with mental illness than women
• Men are statistically less likely to talk about mental health and more
about violence and gambling than women
• Men are taught to suppress their feelings and emotions , which may
result in drug and alcohol use
• You can’t get help without telling the world you need it – don’t allow
it to manifest itself
• Lack of reporting symptoms represents a global “silent crisis”

Old Problem – New Perspective
• Workplaces are now beginning to recognize male mental health is a real
issue management must address
• Stereotypes and attitudes about masculinity play a major role in the
current mental health problems plaguing male-dominated workplaces
• At an early age, boys are often taught to hide their feelings, a form of
conditioning, say many health care experts
• “We raise boys and men not to cry, not to show emotions”.

Grand Challenges
• Identify root causes, risk and protective factors
• Advance prevention and implementation of early interventions
• Improve treatments and expand access to care
• Raise awareness of the global burden
• Build human resource capacity
• Transform health system and policy responses
Ref: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/organization/cgmhr/grandchallenges/index.shtml

Mental Health v. Mental Illness
• ‘Mental health’ and ‘mental illness’ are often though of and used
interchangeably – Incorrect
• Mental illness’ defined as “a syndrome characterized by clinically
significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotion regulation,
or behavior that reflects a dysfunction
• ‘Mental health’ speaks to mental well-being; the full spectrum of
emotions, thoughts and feelings, and either good or bad.
• Mental health refers to our level of happiness, fulfillment and joy; how we
feel about ourselves, manage problems and overcoming difficulties and
stressful events

Stigma of mental health and illness
can be deadly in sectors that are
traditionally dominated by men.
Historically, heavy manufacturing oil
/gas, fishing, and construction around
the world have never been perceived
as environments where workers felt
comfortable discussing their problems.
Stress is a common issue in many
workplaces globally.

Male Superstars with Mental Health
or Mental Illness Issues
• Justin Verlander
• Mark Wahlberg
• Prince Harry
• Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
• Michael Phelps
• Adam Levine
• Jon Hamm
• Howie Mandel
• Ryan Reynolds
• Trevor Noah

Connection to Mental and Physical
Health
Mental and physical health is fundamentally linked together - Mind Body
Dualism
Associations between mental and physical health are:
• Poor mental health is a risk factor for chronic physical conditions
• People with serious mental health conditions are at high risk of
experiencing chronic physical conditions
• People with chronic physical conditions are at risk of developing poor
mental health

Connection to Mental and Physical
Health
Australia's Health 2016 National Report Card; Mental health conditions were
reported as a co-morbidity:
• 36% of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• 30% of people with back pain and problems
• 29% of people with asthma
Suffering from a mental illness:
• 2-3 times more likely to suffer from diabetes than general population
• Almost four times more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease (CVD)
• Coronary heart disease carries independent risk factor of depression

• Anxiety Disorders - social phobia
• Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD, ADD)
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Bipolar Disorder
• Borderline Personality Disorder
• Depression
• Psychosocial – bully, harassment
• Eating Disorders
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Schizophrenia
• Substance Use Disorder
• Suicide
• Stress
• Frontal Temporal Dementia
Male Mental Health and Mental
Illness
Wide range of mental and physical conditions are outcomes from:

• Anger, irritability, or aggressiveness
• Change in mood, energy or appetite
• Difficulty sleeping or sleep too much
• Difficulty concentrating, feeling restless,
or on edge
• Increased worry or feeling stressed
• Misuse of alcohol and/or drugs
• Sadness or hopelessness
• Suicidal thoughts
• Feeling flat or trouble feeling positive
• Engaging in high-risk activities
• Aches, headaches, digestive problems
• Obsessive thinking or compulsive behavior
• Thoughts or behaviors interfere with work,
family, or social life
• Unusual thinking or behaviors that concern
other people
Warning Signs: Male Mental Health
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/men-and-mental-health/index.shtml

Most Stressed Out Cities in the US
• Detroit, MI
• Cleveland – Akron, OH
• Seattle – Tacoma, WA
• Miami- Ft. Lauderdale, FL
• Pittsburgh, PA
• New Orleans, LA
• Nashville, TN
• Washington, DC
• Houston, TX
• Indianapolis, IN

Prevalence of Mental Illness
Ref: Substance Abuse
and Mental Health
Services
Administration. (2018)
https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sit
es/default/files/cbhsq-
reports/NSDUHFFR2017/NSDUH
FFR2017.pdf.

Mental Health Risk Factors in
Workplaces
Job Stressors Examples
Factors
unique to the
job
• Workload (overload and underload)
• Pace/variety/meaningfulness of work
• Autonomy - ability to make your own decisions
about your own job or about specific tasks)
• Shiftwork/hours of work
• Physical environment (noise, air quality, etc.)
Role in the
organization
• Role conflict (conflicting job demands, multiple
supervisors/managers)
• Role ambiguity (lack of clarity about responsibilities,
expectations, etc.)
• Level of responsibility

Mental Health Risk Factors in
Workplaces
Job Stressors Examples
Career
Development
• Under/over-promotion
• Job security (fear of redundancy either from economy, or
a lack of tasks or work to do)
• Career development opportunities
• Overall job satisfaction
Relationships at
Work
• Supervisors; coworkers; subordinates
• Threat of violence, harassment, etc. (threats to
personal safety)
Organizational
structure and
climate
• Participation or non-participation in decision-making
• Management style
• Communication patterns

Economic Impact of Stress and Sleep
“There had been fatalities that had occurred as a result of that, strictly
because of the number of hours worked.
Because of the demand and the physiological response in the body,
people just start breaking down, it affects a person’s ability to think
and to make decisions, good decisions that you would make if you
weren’t in that stressed state.”
–Micki Siegel de Hernandez, Health and Safety Director at the
Communications Workers of America

Annualized Cost for Mental Health
at Work

Company Guilty - Institutional
Harassment
• France Telecom and former managers
were criminally prosecuted for
institutional harassment associated with
employee suicides
• Investigating judges analyzed 39 cases
of employees reported being harassed
• Nineteen ultimately committed suicide

Business Cost of Ignoring Mental
Health
• Awareness of the hazard and risk
• Accountability for actions and inactions
• Actionable items
• Identify your key people performance indicators
• Determine sick time costs
• Explore opportunity risks
• Clarify business cost of doing nothing
• Calculate spending on employee mental health support
• Demonstrate contrast between risk and cost

Are you alright?
How are you feeling?
Let’s take a walk.

Mental Health Stress Factors
• High demands
• Low job control
• Work overload or pressure
• Lack of control and participation
indecision-making
• Unclear work role
• Job insecurity
• Long working hours
• Bullying, harassment, change
• Poor communication
• Inadequate resources

Frequency of Mental Health in
the Workplace
• One in six workers suffer from
anxiety, depression and stress
• 74% with a mental health issue >1
year are out of work
• 55% with depression or anxiety for
>1 year are out of work
• 49% of workers not comfortable
disclosing a mental health issue

Frequency of Mental Health in
the Workplace
• 49% of workers not comfortable
disclosing a mental health issue
• Workplace mental ill-health costs
employers £26 B per year
• 18 million days lost to sickness rom
mental health conditions
• Severe and enduring mental illness
increase premature mortality rates
by to 15-20 years

Increasing Awareness in the
Workplace
• Employers understand how poor mental health impacts their bottom line.
It also impacts their brand, image, and reputation
• Impacts of poor mental health cost UK employers between £33 billion and
£42 billion a year
• More than half of the cost is related to presenteeism, defined as lost
productivity due to poor mental health, with additional costs from
sickness absence and staff turnover
• A European Union study found that each case of a stress-related illness
leads to an average of 30.9 lost days of work

Increasing Awareness in the
Workplace
• Message is reaching more small to mid-size employers, who are beginning
to understand the risks that mental health issues pose to employees
• Increased and distinct level of attention from senior executives on male
mental health in their organizations
• New focus and acceptance are changing the conversation and creating an
improved level of awareness in the workplace
• Understand governmental agencies, workers’ compensation and
healthcare providers have resources to provide resources and help

Investing in Men’s Mental Health
• Deloitte (2017) analyzed 23 companies that invested in mental health, the
results showed a consistently positive return
• Companies investing in proactive support like workshops, mental health
and wellbeing coaching saw a maximum return of 6:1. If they invested in
cultural change and raising awareness, they saw a maximum of 8:1
• FTSE 100 companies who do this return up to three times more profit than
those who don’t
Ref: https://delphislearning.com/mental-health/presenteeism-and-mental-health/

Changing the Landscape
• Understand the common denominators for may male mental health issues
and impact on business, society, policy, and economy
• Promote confidential mental health services available for men who are
struggling with depression and suicide
• Change perception that current mental health services are set up mainly
to serve women
• Reiterate men suffer from mental health issues like women and help is
available so nobody needs to suffer in silence
Ref: Ogrodniczuk J, Oliffe J, Kuhl D, Gross PA. Men's mental health: Spaces and places that work for men. Can Fam
Physician. 2016;62(6):463–464.

Practical Steps
• Introduce dedicated counselling service or helpline for mental health
issues
• Provide practical training on mental health issues including mental
health first aid
• Use positive language and tone to foster a culture of support and
openness to workers needing help and reassurance without any stigma
• Adopt a mental health toolkit with advice on how to prevent suicides

Practical Steps
• Use resources from governmental agencies, organizations, and other
sources which are available for mental health support
• Participate in initiatives such as Time to Change and in Scotland, See Me
and the Scottish Business Pledge, and
• Review the company’ absence policies and keeping-in-touch
arrangements
• Audit and update corporate policy, program and procedures

Policy, Program and Procedures
• Make a commitment – construct a robust corporate policy
• Build an approach – construct an actionable written program
• Create a positive mental health culture – work/life balance
• Provide training – supervisors and employees regarding stress and best
practices to manage illness-related absences
• Manage mental health – communication and openness
• Provide proper support- early intervention for signs and intervention

Support for Men and Mental Health
• Encourage staff to talk about their emotional lives
• Managers should be trained to spot signs of mental illness
• Talking can aid good mental health and avoid bigger problems
• Highlight importance of work/life balance
• Show flexibility when experiencing mental health issues
• Offer activities outside the workplace

Mental Health Training
• Understand relationship between
mental health and diverse global
contexts
• Identify barriers to embedding mental
health into curriculum
• Teaching, learning and assessment
activities to promote mental health
• Identify impacts, positive and
negative, on student mental health

Graphic Data Sources
Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), Global Burden of Disease (GBD)
• Data: Deaths, DALYs and prevalence of mental health and substance use disorders, by age, sex
• Geographical coverage: Global by country and region
• Time span: 1990 – 2016
• Available at: http://ghdx.healthdata.org/gbd-results-tool
World Health Organization (WHO) Global Health Observatory (GHO)
• Data: Prevalence of depression
• Geographical coverage: Global by country
• Time span: 2015
• Available at: WHO Global Health Observatory (GHO)
• Data: Definitions and classifications of mental and substance use disorders
• Available at: ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioral Disorders

References
• Suicide.org - Suicide prevention, awareness and support in addition to support on a range of
mental health disorders - http://suicide.org/
• Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) Guidance and support on depression and
anxiety - https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/diseases/depression-anxiety.html
• CDC factsheets on mental health - https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/mental-health.htm
• Centre for Global Mental Health - Research, education and project on closing inequities in
mental health treatment - https://www.centreforglobalmentalhealth.org/
• Movement for Global Mental Health (MGMH) - Global network of individuals and
organizations aiming to provide global coverage of mental health services -
http://www.globalmentalhealth.org//
• Online Support Groups - Free online support groups for individuals with a range of mental
health, substance use and neurodevelopmental disorders (among other health conditions) -
https://online.supportgroups.com/

References

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Male Mental Health: Why It Matters in the Workplace

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