Supporting the mental health of young adults

In this day and age, the mental health of young people has become a prevalent concern. Over a quarter of young people between the ages of 16-24 have experienced a mental health condition in their life. As well as this, 1 in 5 school age children have a mental health difficulty. That is why it is extremely important for organisations to put the appropriate precautions and systems in place to support the mental health of the younger members of their workforce. It is not only imperative for their people on an individual level, but also for organisational success.

What challenges do young professionals face in the world of work?

There are many issues facing young people today. Living through a financial crash, the impact of austerity measures, a global pandemic and the rise of social media and doomscrolling – it's no wonder why young people today are more prone to poor mental health.

Due to the lasting impact of the pandemic and other global geopolitical events, the UK and global economy have become extremely unstable. In the midst of a cost-of-living with redundancies on the rise, the CIPD forecast that 25% of organisations intend to make further redundancies. It is no surprise to see anxiety and depression rates on the rise as more and more people are concerned with the affordability of everyday life as well as their job security.

Many young people who were in full-time education during the time of the pandemic, their studies will have been heavily impacted. Four in five students claim their academic progress suffered due to the impact, 60% claim their future career plans had changed and 45% did not believe they were able to catch up on their lost learning. While the impact on their education may seem irrelevant to this conversation, the impact it has had on the job market is still yet to be fully understood as many young people may have switched career or have been unable to break into their industry of choice.

What are the statistics for young adults' mental health?

With all the factors impacting young people and leading to declines in the standards of mental health amongst them, the question must be asked; is entering the workforce negatively impacting young people’s mental health? When looking at the statistics, evidence does tend to suggest that entering the workforce is a key contributor to decreasing levels of good mental health.

• 20% of 16-24 year olds in the workforce believe their poor mental health could impact their ability to remain in employment

• 34% of 16-24 year olds believe their job negatively impacts their mental health

• 43% of people aged 16-24 expect their mental health to worsen in the next year

• 43% of 16-24 year olds are worried their declining health could force them out of employment

• More than half of workplace sickness absences can be attributed to mental health

• Mental health issues are highest amongst those working in the hospitality and real estate sectors (23.8% and 23.6% respectively)

What can employers and line managers do to support mental health of young adults?

Mental health concerns are on the rise for young people, meaning organisations and senior leadership teams must support them to alleviate concerns in the workplace.

Create a culture of openness and support:

Cultivating a culture of openness to discuss mental health issues at work may lead to a healthier workplace. By encouraging communication, normalising discussion on mental health without fear of judgement will help break the stigma surrounding workplace mental health and encourage solutions and improved levels of support.

Promote a healthy work-life balance:

Various sources show that more and more young people value a healthy work-life balance above all when choosing their career path and deciding on joining an organisation. One study shows that 48% of people aged between 18-24 believe work-life balance is the most important factor in their career, whilst 52% of Millennials (aged 29-44) value work-life balance over career advancement. Therefore, it is clear to see how valuable a work-life balance is to young people. Ensuring people leave their work behind them after operational hours or shift times to focus on themselves and their wellbeing is central to promoting positive mental wellbeing.

Push awareness campaigns:

This may be the easiest win for organisations that want to promote mental wellbeing and discussions regarding mental health. Making it clear that as an organisation, you understand, recognise and promote positive mental wellbeing and inclusion through relevant awareness days will make people feel more comfortable to be open and have the relevant discussions.

Prepare leadership to tackle the issues surrounding mental health:

Providing senior leadership teams with the necessary knowledge and training to support people in the workplace and address any possible mental health crises. This can be achieved through Mental Health First Aid Training sessions with senior members of leadership. This course equips people within your organisation with the necessary skills to support people who are experiencing poor mental health whilst implementing effective action plans to guide people to the necessary support for a range of issues.

Provide access to mental health resources:

Due to the stigma that surrounds mental health discussions, it can be difficult to come forward and discuss mental health issues, particularly with senior leaders of an organisation. That’s why it’s important to provide people with confidential and reliable support channels. This can be achieved with an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). With HA | Wisdom Wellbeing’s EAP, your people will have 24/7 access to a confidential helpline with accredited counsellors to support them through a variety of mental wellbeing concerns. It can ensure they are supported and better understand their mental health which will in turn boost their workplace engagement.

What are some effective coping strategies for stress and anxiety in young professionals?

Whilst in the moment, stress and anxiety can feel all-encompassing and like there is no way to escape the negative feelings associated with them, there are methods that can help manage these feelings. Here are some quick and simple methods to help young professionals cope with and overcome the feelings of stress and anxiety:

Mindfulness:

Sometimes when the pressures and responsibilities of the world and a person’s working life become too much, it can be best to take a step back and take a moment for yourself. This might mean practicing some meditation or breathing exercises to gain some perspective and clear your thoughts. Various breathing exercises and meditation routines can be found on the Wisdom App for easy-to-follow practices.

Physical activity:

Regular exercise can help boost a person’s mood whilst releasing positive hormones to reduce stress. Physical activity doesn’t always have to be extensive and intense; it can be a quick and short walk. This can be done during working hours, taking short breaks to walk around the office every so often, or leaders and line managers could organise walking meetings that may take place outside or providing standing desks to encourage movement.

Time management:

This step is essential in and out of a working environment. Getting to grips with managing your time effectively and segmenting tasks to make them more manageable eases the planning, actioning and review process of everything you do. Whether that is a task in the workplace, a household chore or even planning for social activities. When you know how much time to dedicate to something or how long one thing should take, you are relieved of the stress and anxiety that may occur when looking at each component as a collective task.

Establishing boundaries:

One key element that line managers and qualified Mental Health First Aiders within a workplace should look to impart on young people struggling with their mental health is boundaries. Whilst people should be encouraged to connect with each other and be open in discussion and provide support, when necessary, some also appreciate their own space and peace of mind. When anxious and stressed, communication can become frayed and break down very quickly. Taking some time to separate from a situation and seek a confidential channel of support can sometimes be the preferred approach to anxiety, providing the necessary comfort to overcome the issue. The same principle applies to work-life balance. When leadership encourage the boundary of leaving work in working hours so that individuals can focus on their personal affairs, stress can be quickly alleviated, and a solution can be found with the space to reflect and assess.

Seeking professional support:

In certain instances, especially those that may revolve around Critical Incident Stress Management Debriefing (CISMD), specialised assistance and intervention may be required. Having a qualified Mental Health First Aider on-site can help to provide the necessary support as they will understand how to address the problem and signpost anyone to professional support when suffering.

How can an Employee Assistance Programme help with supporting the mental health of young professionals?

With so many obstacles to overcome and so many ongoing economic and political issues facing young people today, they are far more prone to stress and declining mental health. Without the appropriate support, they can begin to spiral. In a working environment, this can be especially true if they are dealing with the pressures of high workloads, lower wages, increased costs and a poorer work-life balance. That’s why it is important when choosing the right mental health professional for workplace stress management to ensure they have the necessary resources to support your people.

Using an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), young people can access expert, BACP accredited counselling 24/7, 365 days a year for guidance, advice and support to overcome their mental wellbeing struggles. As well as this, using HA | Wisdom Wellbeing’s EAP, individuals will have access to the Wisdom app, complete with a host of resources such as podcasts where people speak to mental wellbeing experts about overcoming specific struggles, including how to interact in social situations. However, if your organisation requires on-site training and expertise to help younger people manage their mental health, we also provided in-person and online Mental Health First Aid Training to strengthen the quality of wellbeing support provided by your organisation.

Conclusion

Young adults entering the workforce may be facing more and more challenges. What they need is the backing and support of their workplace, the belief in them to be their best selves. This is what will inspire organisational growth, higher engagement and greater success. Supporting young people with their mental wellbeing and helping them overcome mental health issues such as anxiety and depression will not only better them as people, but also provide a greater benefit to your success as an organisation.