Removing the Stigma of Mental Illness and Substance Abuse

Employee Wellness Programs are also an effective way to educate workers/parents about substance abuse,  sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, depression, mental illness, learning disabilities, and other  issues that affect adults, children, and teens. Arming parents, other relatives, and concerned friends  with information is a way to prevent problems in the future, for themselves and their children.

Workers may not be comfortable attending Employee Wellness Programs entitled “Substance Abuse and You”  or “Dealing With Depression,” fearing they have “self-identified” just by their presence. However, when  much of that same information is billed as “Teens and Substance Abuse” or “Recognizing the Signs of  Depression in Teens,” there may be a full house for the presentation.

Once this occurs, the levels of awareness are raised. An employee who is concerned that he or she is  actually depressed can attend and gain life-saving information. Using this type of approach in Employee  Wellness Programs goes beyond raising awareness among parents whose children are struggling with  personal problems.

Mental health topics are often difficult to introduce. There is still some stigma attached to being  “mentally ill” or having alcohol problems. A benign way to bring information into the workplace is to  use Employee Wellness Programs and the National Screening Day programs. These are dates that have been  set aside each year to increase awareness about various problems. They include:

Alcohol Abuse and Addiction (April)
Anxiety Disorders (during Mental Health Month in May)
Depression (October)
Eating Disorders (February)

There is a wealth of information available online that can be made available to your workers at no cost  as a component of your Employee Wellness Programs. All it takes begin this into Employee Wellness  Programs is some type of notification in the form of an e-mail with an introductory statement and some  links.

Local mental health clinics, medical schools, and hospitals usually provide free employee health  screenings on designated days so that anyone can come in, take a test, and get information and a  referral for care if appropriate. You could arrange with a local provider for a block of time for your  workers to participate in the screenings, or talk to them about coming into the workplace to provide  them.