Stay Informed

World Mental Health Day is an international day for global mental health education, awareness, and advocacy against social stigma. It was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH), a global mental health organization with members in more than 150 countries. Chosen through a global vote involving WFMH members, stakeholders, and supporters, this year's theme, "It is Time to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace", is a call to action that resonates worldwide. 

Employed adults spend more time working than any other activity during their waking hours. For many, work can provide a livelihood and be a source of meaning, purpose, and joy. However, for too many people, work falls far short of its potential, failing to enhance our lives and detracting from our mental health and well-being in ways that result in excessive distress and mental ill health.  Mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, are pervasive in workplaces globally, impacting productivity, attendance, and overall performance. When left untreated, the staggering economic cost is estimated at $1 trillion (USD) annually by the WHO.

Mental Health professionals stress that employees should tend to their mental health all the time—not just when a problem becomes acute.  According to 2024 data from MetLife, employees are now more likely to experience negative feelings at work, including stress (12 percent more likely) and burnout (17 percent more likely) than they were pre-pandemic (2019).  Employees are also 51 percent more likely to feel depressed at work than they were pre-pandemic as they face what the insurer calls a “complex macro environment and permacrisis state”—a state which has included the pandemic, persistent high inflation, the US election, international turmoil, and war, and more.

According to Mental Health First Aid, ways to protect your mental health and emotional wellbeing can include:

• Taking a break. Consider taking a mental health day. Set aside time for yourself to recharge and reset. Learn how to identify when you need a break and how to make the most out of a day to yourself.
• Disconnect from social media.  Social media is intertwined with our daily lives. From school, work, and our social lives, we use social media in almost every area of our lives now. Because of its ability to instantly connect us, social media can be a helpful tool. However, with its addictive nature, social media consumes a lot of our time, has a pervasive impact on self-perception, and keeps us from connecting with the world around us.  Social media can also have a negative impact on our sleep patterns.  There are multiple benefits of disconnecting from social media.
• Practice self-care as an act of kindness. Self-care isn’t just a routine, it’s a fundamental practice for a healthier you. Here are ways to integrate self-care into your daily life and how it can positively impact your overall mental health.
• Recognize burnout.  Look for signs such as increased irritability, exhaustion, and detachment from work or personal life. One way to ward off burnout and stress is to use your paid time off (PTO) benefits and truly disconnect during that time off.  PTO is considered one of the most important benefits employers can offer and IPHA provides it’s on-board staff a nice combination of vacation and personal days as well as paid holidays.  We all need to remember that PTO is time off from work, including emails, calls, and other tasks. Put an “out of office” message on your email and your voicemail indicating you will respond to the messages when you return. If something cannot wait until you return, hand off the issue to your supervisor or a coworker.   Supervisors can also model this behavior by not contacting employees while they’re on PTO.
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“You are in charge of your mental health,” states Janice Litvin, author of the Banish Burnout Toolkit.  “You cannot take care of your community, your team, or your family if you do not take care of yourself.”