Visions Journal

EDI, mental health and substance use

Kristin Bower

Reprinted from the Is It Safe to Be Me? Creating inclusive and accessible workspaces issue of Visions Journal, 2024, 20 (1), pp. 8-10

When a person comes to work, they should feel part of something, that they are supported to do their best work, to grow and build new skills, and to—dare I say it—enjoy it! They should feel supported during the ups and downs we all face in life. I began my career in human resources because I believed that (still do, over 20 years later). I wanted to help shape workplace cultures for the better. But it wasn't until I experienced a major depressive episode about 15 years ago that my view shifted on the role an employer should play in employee mental health.

I was first diagnosed with depression in my twenties. Since then, I have also struggled with generalized anxiety disorder and an eating disorder and have abused alcohol. My mental health has ebbed and flowed; sometimes healthy and well and sometimes not. I accept that I have a chronic illness. What I no longer accept is that I should feel shame for it or that I should hide it.

What always helped me in the workplace was when I had a caring and empathetic leader who wanted to support me to be a contributing, healthy member of a team. The managers who focused on my ability—my skills and potential—rather than any inability helped me see what I was capable of. While talking with my director at the time, I thanked him for accommodating me. I will never forget his response: "We aren't accommodating you. We are learning from you."

What didn't help was when I had the opposite—a manager who was concerned about productivity above all and who failed to see me as a human being experiencing a serious illness. Working for a top employer at the time of my major depressive episode, but with a manager who just didn't know how to support me (or that they should), made me see that even the best workplaces can struggle to be there for an employee with mental health or substance use challenges. As I came out of the depressive episode, I decided to focus my career on workplace accessibility, equity, diversity and inclusion.

Facing the issue

But this isn't really about me. I am only one of the many Canadians who experience a mental health challenge. By the time Canadians reach age 40, one in two have, or have had, a mental illness.¹ Consider that number in the context of your workplace. If it's not you, it’s the person next to you. We cannot continue to ignore the issue.

While anyone can experience a mental illness or substance use issue, those who belong to diversity groups experience these things at higher rates and face extra challenges when they live with a mental illness or substance use problem:

• Women have higher rates of mood and anxiety disorders than men.²
• Indigenous Peoples, especially youth, die by suicide at much higher rates than non-Indigenous people. First Nations youth aged 15–24 die by suicide about six times more often than non-Indigenous youth. Suicide rates for Inuit youth are about 24 times the national average.³
• People who experience prejudice or marginalization may use substances to cope with trauma or social isolation.³
• People in the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community are two and a half times more likely to experience depression, anxiety and substance misuse than non-2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals.⁴
• Trans women of colour have higher rates of suicide than others in the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community.¹

An understanding of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) concepts, like inequities and microaggressions by employers and colleagues, is vital to people living and working with mental health and substance use challenges. At a time when the rates of mental illness and substance use disorders remain high—as does stigma—we need to work together to create more equitable workplace cultures. When we don't, we lose talented, skilled employees.

Research shows that those with a mental illness are much less likely to be employed. Unemployment rates are as high as 70– 90% for people with the most severe mental illnesses.¹ This hurts our economy and businesses, and it hurts people. Many who experience mental health challenges can work—and want to work! Having a place to go, with people who rely on your contributions, can help a person maintain a sense of purpose and self-esteem.

A manager who wants to help a person with a mental illness stay in the workplace, rather than take a leave (or quit), can work with a benefits provider organization to adjust workload, working hours or location. Often small tweaks can make a big difference.

New conversations

As an EDI consultant I work with clients of all sizes across sectors. What I have seen consistently in the past five years is that more employers are talking about depression and anxiety. I hear from employees about "lunch and learns" and how they encourage people to use the employee and family assistance provider (EFAP). This is all good. Here's what's missing...

It's all pretty superficial, and there isn't any real ownership or commitment to it. Discussion is still about the theory of supporting people and not the practice. It's not that managers and co-workers don't care. I think the opposite is true: they care a lot, but they don't want to say or do the wrong thing, so they opt to let the EFAP do the work.

A lunch and learn is a good start. But will one hour change anything? Encouraging employers to make use of the EFAP is great, but not when it means a leader uses it as an excuse to avoid a personal, human-centred conversation with an employee who might be struggling. Outsourcing human connection is never a good idea.

I believe we can create positive change. But not unless we change our approach. It takes a long-term commitment and action. Here are some tips for moving the dial on your mental health and substance use efforts:

• Connect your organization’s EDI efforts with your mental health and substance use efforts. EDI, mental health and substance use are absolutely interconnected, as shown by the statistics above.
• Consider the psychological and mental health impact (not to mention the effects on civility and respect) in your workplace of untrained managers and outdated, colonial policies and practices.
• Invest in leadership development grounded in EDI principles and centred on a human approach.
• Start talking about things like addiction and eating disorders. Consider how inclusive your social events might be to employees experiencing these things.
• If you see changes in an employee or colleague, don't ignore it. Many of these illnesses are pretty darn lonely and isolating. Reaching out can be a lifeline.
• Recognize that workplace disclosure is a process. Just because you've tried to start the conversation, doesn't mean the person will want to talk. They may feel it's too personal, or they may have experienced discrimination or stigma in the past. Normalizing the topics of well-being and mental illness in the workplace can help people feel as safe as they would if they had the flu or a broken bone.

I know. It can feel like a lot, particularly when we consider that most businesses in BC are small, with limited resources. So, here's my tip for those organizations (and the big ones, too!): reach out to a partner. There are many wonderful mental health and substance use community-based organizations that can help. In the words of social worker Dr. Brené Brown, "We don't have to do all of it alone. We were never meant to."⁵