The Importance Of Mental Health In An Inclusive, Diverse Workplace

Due to the movement for racial justice, employers worldwide are now talking about their companies' inclusion and social justice. Corporations must ensure that employees from diverse backgrounds receive appropriate mental health services. This problem has not been dealt with for a long time. Recent episodes of racism, violence, and as well as COVID-19 health disparities have taken a toll on mental health status. Anxiety and depression among hip-hop Black and Latino families soared four times this year, one study reported, topping after the George Floyd murder. The same also applies to the health inequalities brought about by COVID-19; the infection rates of the virus among Black and Latino Americans have been over three times that of white Americans, while almost two times more have died from the virus. Racial justice movements are no longer limited to the US and are triggering similar calls for action.

Every company must put inclusive, available, and accessible mental health at the relatively new level of the firm. It is high time that action should be taken to eliminate the long-held gaps and inequalities in the quality and access to mental health services. It is also evident that racism and racialized trauma present considerable challenges regarding mental health. According to Dan Gillison, head of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), factors such as the absence of mental health inquiring minds towards African-American communities, no access to health care, and, more importantly, mental healthcare services and cultural competence cannot be relatively ignored.

As organisations aim for racial justice, they should never ignore the mental health – of their workplace and the community. They can do several necessary actions, such as:

Draw links between inclusion and mental health.

Diversity and inclusion (D&I) and mental health are closely linked. Lack of representation, stereotype threat, physical dis-identification, and a host of other reasons pose threats to the psychological safety of workers within the organizational context. Programs that instill a sense of belonging, diversity, and inclusion may also enhance mental well-being outcomes and vice versa. D&I and social justice are also about figuring out how to get mental health care-- such as employee resource groups, counseling services, and mental health assessments, for working individuals of varying backgrounds. This might be an essential part of an effective D&I strategy and cost.

Manager education and empowerment

In crisis stages, managers can be categorised as the "first responders" responsible for primary mental health care. When a challenge is presented through people from different backgrounds, managers should be trained and empowered on diversity, mental health, and the intersectionality between the two to allow for quicker delivery of services. The manager must be experienced in handling such intricate issues with specific staff, leading them to appropriate solutions and addressing their concerns and inquiries.

Expand access to culturally appropriate care.

The inequality in the prospects of mental health treatment is shocking and channeled towards those people who are least likely to use mental healthcare. This includes people belonging to the Asian, Latino, and Black racial groups who utilise mental health services at a significantly lower range compared to whites, at 51%, 25%, and 21%, respectively. Some of the voids can be attributed to stigma and prejudice, lack of service availability, or lack of diverse service providers. For example, fewer than 20% of psychologists in America are of Black, Latino, or Asian origin.

Employers can extend equitable, effective, and culturally sensitive mental health treatments to all employees. People in this situation should try to use their resources towards healthcare provision systems, insurance systems, and health policies that consider interruptions from culture. Employers may also create, pilot, and scale up digital health products, which are intended to fill the gaps, mainly because the COVID-19 pandemic has made the shift to telehealth care more pressing.

Translating words into action

Companies, not to mention civil society, governments, and the global community, aim to become a catalyst for and participate in the conception of an international movement advocating for racial equality and institutional change. There must be enough attention paid to the contribution of mental health in this narrative and this pledge. Employers must stress mental health as a critical issue that needs to be addressed when going from words to action, as they can do so from the organisation's perspective or change perspectives.