According to a 2016 report by the Health and Safety Executive, a public body in the United Kingdom, stress, depression, and anxiety cost UK industries £12.5 million in lost sick days. This accounted for 49 percent of all days lost due to ill health, and the trend is rising.

The Institute of Directors, another British organization, reports that 98 percent of business leaders believe that good mental health is important to the performance of their organization. With 54 percent of its members saying that they have been approached by staff suffering from mental ill health, it is clear that organizations need to develop new ways to address this increasing problem. Like many large employers, the University of Leeds takes the health and well-being of its staff very seriously, providing a range of support services aimed at improving their psychological health. However, a new Wellness Programme aims to provide a different type of support. 

The pilot scheme, based in the Faculty of Engineering, offers employees a program that provides one-on-one support with exercises, stress management, sleep management, and healthy lifestyle management. Those on the program have access to on-site gym facilities and bespoke training programs followed by a further six-month premium gym membership The more commonly known impacts of stress are on our psychological health, leading to a number of problems such as tension or anxiety. However, it can also lead to physiological problems, ranging from loss of appetite to heart attacks. The benefits of exercise to those suffering from mental health are well documented. 

The Mayo Clinic has touted the stress- busting benefits of exercise, and a review by the Society of Occupational Medicine found that workplace physical activity programs can have a positive impact on anxiety, symptoms of depression, and stress. The targeted Wellness Programme at the University of Leeds aims to tackle the issues of stress at the earliest stage, before the negative effects are felt by the individual or the business. Heather Swinsco, the human resources professional who proposed the program, sees the issue of mental health as something which needs to be taken seriously. In a recent survey, the mental health charity Mind found that 30 percent of staff would not feel comfortable talking to a line manager about being stressed, while 14 percent said they had resigned as a result of stress, with a worrying further 42 percent saying they had considered it. 

The inability to talk about stress may result in still higher levels of sickness as the issues are not being addressed, and staying at work may have a negative impact on other employees, who now have to deal with their stressed co-worker. Swinsco felt that identifying individuals at this earlier stage and making direct referrals to the Wellness Programme would limit these negative effects. 

Referral to the program was based on certain criteria, such as the length of time that the individual was expected to experience mental ill-health and whether they were willing and able to engage with the activities. Members of the pilot program will be monitored during the initial 12 weeks and after to assess the impact of the exercise on their mental wellbeing. Initial reports are encouraging, and overall positive outcomes may lead to the program being taken up by other areas of the University. 

Questions

This type of program aims to reduce stress across the organization. What issues may impact successful uptake by staff?

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