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Employers must take mental health 'seriously'

09 Feb 2012

Posted by Oliver Churchill

Many workers will at some point feel the strain of their job. However, for numerous employees this will be more severe, with one in six staff experiencing mental health problems every year.

When this occurs, it is vital that businesses take mental health complaints seriously and institute a series of measures and support systems to accommodate patient’s needs.

This is the opinion of Andy Bell, spokesman for the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health.

According to Mr Bell, if businesses do not take steps to address mental health in the workplace companies will face an extra £1,000 in costs for every employee on average.

However, making a few simple changes can help to manage, and even prevent, mental health problems.

"The key is for line managers to be aware of depression and anxiety in particular and to have the skills and confidence to respond positively when they think a colleague may be experiencing problems or someone comes to them saying they are unwell,” Mr Bell explained.ADNFCR-781-ID-801288677-ADNFCR

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