11 May Recognizing Mental Health Disorder Warning Signs in the Workplace

By Jackie Sue Griffin, MBA, MS

Mental health is one of the biggest problems we face these days: In America, mental health conditions affect one in five people. Chances are a mental disorder affects someone in your workplace.

A mental health disorder can begin as subtle changes to a person’s feelings, thinking and behavior. Significant and ongoing changes can be a sign that they have or are developing a mental health disorder.

However, with the stigma surrounding mental illnesses, many employees who are struggling feel reluctant to come forward. As a result, mental health issues often go unrecognized and unaddressed, leading to more significant problems for the employee and the larger organization.

Mental health disturbances can significantly impact the workplace but may not always be easy to recognize. Here are six signs and symptoms to watch for among your staff:

1. Changes in work habits – Typically, changes in work habits are labeled as poor performance when the actual cause is a mental health concern. Difficulty concentrating, lack of motivation or lower-than-normal productivity is not necessarily a performance management issue, so try not to jump to conclusions.
2. Changes in physical appearance – Have you noticed a change in an employee’s grooming? Is their general appearance slipping? If someone who typically comes to work looking well-groomed starts regularly violating the company’s dress code policy or looking unkempt, it could be a sign that they are having difficulty coping.
3. Changes in demeanor – Dramatic changes in behavior and personality can indicate mental health struggles. Displaying excessive restlessness, nervousness or irritability, seeming passive, tense or worried and acting in unusual ways are all signs of changes to look out for.
4. Increases in lateness and absenteeism – Another sign of a mental health disorder can be when an employee who is usually on time starts coming to work late, missing meetings or calling in sick more often. Aches and pains, excessive fatigue, physical complaints and sluggishness can all be associated with anxiety and depression.
5. Outbursts and mood swings – Outbursts, lack of control of emotions and mood swings could be connected to declining mental health. Have you noticed that your employee is unable to deal with minor annoyances? Disruptive behavior, defying rules or acting in an overly aggressive manner can all be indicators your team member needs help.
6. Seeming unsociable or avoiding interaction altogether – An unwillingness to talk, seeming standoffish, avoiding social situations, voluntary isolation or withdrawing from interactions with others can all be mental health red flags. If you notice that an employee suddenly seems to avoid engaging with others, this should be a cause for concern.

Familiarizing yourself with these common signs and symptoms of mental health concerns in the workplace will equip you to keep all of your employees healthy and safe.

Knowing what to look for is the first step to creating a productive dialogue around mental health. While you shouldn’t force someone to disclose a mental illness, you can and should leave the door open for conversation and support.