With the ongoing pandemic, our mental health, and how we can make sure we are looking after it during such a turbulent time, is being talked about more than ever. As accountants, we generally work in busy environments and with tight deadlines, and these stresses we are under at work can influence our mental health and have a negative impact. According to mental health charity Mind, depression is the second leading disability worldwide, and in the UK, one in four people experience a mental health problem each year. The pandemic has exacerbated the matter, with mental health issues becoming more prevalent due to colleagues having to deal with isolation, uncertainty and change etc.
To support colleagues with their mental health, the big four have introduced wellbeing measures. For example, Deloitte now have a Mind, Body and Purpose programme. KPMG UK have a Be Mindful initiative and EY as its Mental Health Network for which they have trained over 700 members of staff to provide support to colleagues who are affected by mental health issues.
Initiatives such as these can make all the difference to staff who might be struggling with their mental health. Mental health can be a difficult subject for many people to talk about, especially in an environment where there is a big emphasis on how important being a professional is, as in the accounting industry. So, letting staff know that there is support for them, and making this support accessible, is key.
Mental health problems can be invisible, so it's more important than ever, particularly at the moment with COVID19 still having an impact on our day to day lives, that we are aware that our employees and our colleagues could be suffering with their mental health and ensure they have the support in place they need. After all, whatever profession we are in, we are all humans, and humans need support.
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