It’s therefore not surprising that our colleagues can often end up becoming our friends and may turn to us for support when they are struggling with their mental health.
If you respond in the right way, it can help them to feel supported and accepted, and creates a more open culture around mental health.
We've shared some advice on how best to support someone when facing different situations at work.
This is a big sign of trust. You could start by showing empathy and saying something like, ‘I’m sorry to hear that you have been struggling, is there anything I can do to help?’
Many people will have dealt with their diagnosis for a long time, and may be having a flare-up. Whereas for others, this might be their first experience of poor mental health.
Either way, give them space to talk. Show you’re listening by asking open questions about what they think might help, who else they might be able to talk to and re-iterating that you are there for them.
You might want to invite them for a coffee break together so you can talk in a more relaxed environment where you’re less likely to be overheard.
If they need to take time off work, it can mean a lot to send a quick text, or a card to let them know that you are thinking of them. Gentle, non-intrusive gestures like this show that you care.
People managers have specific responsibilities for supporting their employees with mental health problems.
See our resources for managers
It can feel a bit more tricky if you’ve seen changes or behaviours in a colleague that makes you think that they’re struggling but they haven’t mentioned it to you. But don’t feel like that means you can’t say anything at all. A gentle ‘how are things?’ can help open up the conversation and show them that you care. Pick a good time to talk, maybe somewhere quieter, or even over email or Teams if you think they might respond to that better. A simple ‘how are you doing?’ can be all it takes.
People may experience all kinds of difficulties in life. They may be bereaved, having relationship problems or coping with a long-term illness. Don’t make assumptions. Remember it's not your job to diagnose them, or to tell them what mental health problem you think they might have. Instead, you can help by asking open questions, showing empathy and perhaps directing them to where they might be able to get more support, like HR or the Mind webpages. Reassure them that you will keep the conversation private and check back in regularly to see how they’re doing. Be mindful that if somebody discloses abuse of any kind, or says that they are feeling suicidal, it’s important to let somebody else know, like HR, so that they can get the immediate help they need.
Find out what else you can do to support somebody with a mental health problem.
Visit our website
