Excessive stress makes people ill – this is well known. Yet ordinary stress is actually essential for survival, as it is a natural reaction to threats. But what has helped people throughout evolution to remain capable of acting even in dangerous situations often becomes a problem in today's working life. When stress takes on chronic dimensions, it represents an extreme psychological burden and can have a lasting impact on the health of the employee. The causes of chronic stress are manifold and can lie in the work activity itself, but also in the work environment, the organization or the social environment. Whether it's high levels of noise at work, conflicts with colleagues, bullying, fear for one's job, overtaxing work tasks or family problems – It doesn't matter where the cause of excessive stress lies: If you don't do anything about its causes, you risk serious mental illness. After all, stress is considered one of the biggest threats to mental health in the workplace.

A cross-industry problem: mental illnesses caused by excessive stress

The trend is alarming: The number of mental illnesses has increased by over 50% since 2010. They are thus responsible for around 12% of sickness notifications. Work absences caused by mental illnesses last disproportionately long. Chronic stress and mental illness occur in all industries and are not limited to certain hierarchical levels. However, the Corona pandemic has given mental illnesses a considerable boost. This is particularly true of the switch to home office – It has become a stress test for many employees. The lack of social contact is a particular problem: It creates a breeding ground for loneliness and at the same time removes the employee from the direct sphere of influence of the superior. It is therefore all the more important that managers are aware of their special responsibility for the mental health of their employees and act accordingly. But how do companies deal with the growing problem of mental illness? And how can employees and managers be appropriately sensitized?

Mental health sensitization and training: holistic concepts

In order to create a healthy working environment, companies are increasingly focusing on holistic concepts that put the employee at the centre. In addition to employee-friendly and ergonomic workplace design, many employers are going one step further: they are actively encouraging their workforce to take action and offering attractive programs to promote mindfulness and fitness. Sensitization to critical situations is just as important as training with concrete assistance on how to cope with stress and other psychological burdens. In times of flex-work and home-office, web-based e-learnings have proven their worth. At Security-Island, we have developed professional training solutions that support you and your employees and managers in preventing stress and other psychological strains in order to actively protect mental health in the workplace.