Mental Health in the Workplace (SymfonyCon 2019, Amsterdam)

The slides for the Mental Health in the Workplace talk delivered at SymfonyCon 2019 in Amsterdam on November 22, 2019.

Transcript

1. Mental health in the workplace SymfonyCon, Amsterdam
2. Skoop in short • PHP developer since the days of PHP 3 (over 20 years now) • Open source contributions: phpBB, Zend Framework, Symfony, etc • Usergroups and conferences: phpGG, PHPBenelux, PHPAmersfoort, PHP.FRL • A wife and two kids • My own company: Ingewikkeld & my own event: WeCamp • Radio and podcasting: KINK.nl and ByTheCampfire.net • I suffer from depressions
3. Feel free to interrupt me Every experience is useful
4. Introduction into mental health
5. What is mental health?
6. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. -- www.mentalhealth.gov
7. Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community. -- www.who.int
8. Mental health statistics • 1 in 5 people struggle with their mental health (MHFA NL, 2016) • 1 in 4 people struggle with their mental health (NAMH, 2013) • 1 in 2 people in tech have sought treatment (Finkler, 2015)
9. Types of mental illness • Generalized anxiety disorder • Depression • Bipolar disorder • Psychosis / Schizophrenia • PTSD • Obsessive compulsive disorder • Borderline personality disorder • Eating disorders • ADHD • Substance abuse disorder • Burnout • Autism spectrum disorders • (and more)
10. How to handle mental illness Photo by-nc 2.0 by Annette Dubois: https://www.flickr.com/photos/73689755@N06/35426175521
14. Get rid of the stigma
15. Get rid of the stigma • Don’t make jokes about mental health • Be careful • Be open
16. In the workplace
17. How do you recognize mental illness?
18. How to recognize mental illness? • Lack of energy • Lack of self-esteem • Quickly irritated • Problems with concentration / focus • Speaking about death • … and so many more
19. How do you handle mental illness of a colleague? With empathy and understanding
20. How to handle mental illness • Create the right environment for everyone • Communication is key • Empathize • Don’t judge
21. Create the right environment for everyone • Make clear agreements on work times, but be flexible • Create an open, welcoming environment • Allow remote work • Listen to feedback • Try to prevent stress • Add structure to the work day / work week • Don’t make “perfect” the norm • Don’t put too much focus on alcohol
22. Communication is key • For managers: make clear agreements on expectations • Talk to each other • Don’t make jokes about: • Mental illness • Sexual preference • Looks • Other personal traits
23. Empathize • Try to understand your colleague • Try to understand their needs • Even if you don’t understand, listen to their feedback
24. Don’t judge • Try to never judge • You don’t know what is going on in another person’s head • Being judged may make it worse
25. How you do handle your own mental illness?
26. Belgium: 1813 (NL), 0800 32 123 (FR). Austria: 142. Canada: 1.833.456.4566 (Crisis Services), 877.565.8860 (Trans Lifeline). Denmark: 70 201 201 (Livslinien). France: 01 45 39 40 00 (Suicide Écoute). Ghana: 2332 444 71279 (National Lifeline). Iceland: 1717 (Hjálparsími Rauða Krossins). India: 91-22-27546669 (AASRA). Israel: 1201 (Eran.org.il Suicide line). Italy: 06.33775675 (SPS). Lebanon: 1564 (Suicide Hotline Lebanon). New Zealand: 1737 (need to talk?). Norway: 116 123 (Mental Helse). The Phillipines: 0917-899 8727 (National Center for Mental Health Crisis Hotline). Portugal: 225 50 60 70 (Voz de Apoio). South Africa: 0800 567 567 (Suicide Crisis Line), (021) 712 6699 (The Triangle Project). Sweden: 90101 (Självmordslinjen). Switzerland: 143 (Die dargebotene Hand). Trinidad and Tobago: (868) 645 2800 (Lifeline). United Kingdom: 111 option 2 (NHS). USA: 1-800-273-8255 (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline). 1-800-799-4889 (Deaf & Hard Hearing Options), 1-866-488-7386 (The Trevor Project), 1-877-330-6366 (Trans Lifeline). https://www.113.nl/ 0900 - 0113
27. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_suicide_crisis_lines
28. Your own mental illness • Communication is key • Structure • Know your boundaries • Find help within the workplace • Find help outside of your workplace • Know your rights
29. Practical Steps
30. Train your people • Each company should have a first aid responder for physical injuries and illnesses • Why not train at least one person in your company as a first aid responder for mental illness and mental crises? • Mental Health First Aid: https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/ • The Netherlands: https://mhfa.nl/
31. Read the books • Guidelines for Mental Wellness in the Workplace • Guidelines for Executives and HR professionals • Guidelines for Employees • https://osmihelp.org/resources
32. More to check out • Nara Kasbergen – Empathy As A Service: https://youtu.be/5nq9aqe6vSw • Open Sourcing Mental Illness Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBF9RcJ2o56UYO3kBqdKlHg
33. This will benefit not just those with mental illness
34. This will benefit everyone in the company
35. Important note
36. Do you recognize yourself? • Talk to me after this talk • Seek professional help
37. Questions?
38. https://skoop.dev/ @skoop