Disability Hub Europe highlights the relevance of making mental health & well-being for all a global priority
DHub corporate partners, L’Oréal and Dow, share their commitment to promoting well-being and awareness raising
Today, October 10, is World Mental Health Day. Disability Hub Europe, as a multi-stakeholder European initiative focused on the binomial Disability & Sustainability, also marks this occasion by stressing that the well-being and health – physical, emotional and mental – of all people must be a global priority.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 450 million people worldwide are affected by a mental health problem. This implies that 1 in 4 will have a mental disorder at some point during their lives. This fact is more concerning still if we take into account the continued impact of covid-19: the rates of disorders such as depression and anxiety increased by 25% during the first year of the pandemic. If we focus on people with disabilities, 50% state that their mental health has been affected to a greater extent by the health crisis.
In this sense, it should be remembered that people with disabilities who present mental health condition have not traditionally seen their needs properly attended to, among other reasons because for a long time these were not detected or were detected too late. Moreover, many mental health problems are invisible to others and, even today, continue to carry a significant social stigma, so observing this World Mental Health Day becomes even more important. It is urgent to speak, openly and without taboos, about everything that is related to our psyche.
As shown in the WHO world report on mental health, in order to achieve the goals set out in the Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013–2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals “we must transform our attitudes, actions and approaches to promote and protect mental health, as well as to provide care and attention to those who need it”. During the World Health Assembly in May 2021, governments around the world recognized the need to expand quality services at all levels. And some countries have found new ways to deliver mental health care to their populations. In the case of France, it puts mental health at the forefront of the country's concerns, offering a new programme under which the cost of up to eight therapy sessions may be reimbursed (by Social Security and complementary health insurance).
Relevant examples among D-Hub partners
Disability Hub Europe values the effort and the steps that are being taken to advance in this area, and the role business may take in their effort to create healthier and more inclusive workplaces. DHub´s corporate partners Dow and L’Oréal provide relevant examples.
Dow’s strategies to improve the well-being of its employees are comprehensive and include training in psychological safety, recognition, continuous communications with employees, access to occupational health services and work flexibility, among others.
In this sense, it is worth highlighting the Reclaim Your Health campaign, launched in 2021 to promote self-care and so that its observers can share resources to maintain their health. Psychological safety training for leaders and employees is one of the actions which stood out and which was meant to start a discussion about the meaning and value of this matter and specify how co-workers can foster an environment of personal improvement and professionalism.
"Maybe now more than ever, it remains crucial that we support each other and face the world’s uncertainties together. We can all play a role in tackling mental health challenges in the workplace. At Dow, we believe in the power of a healthy workforce. We promote the creation of working environments where employees feel comfortable speaking up freely without fear of judgement, where tools and platforms are made available and where everyone feels supported and valued. We are proud to catalyse the dialogue via different events to promote those values, as we ourselves continue to learn from others", maintains Marco Ten Bruggencate, Commercial VP EMEA at Dow.
Other activities to support the mental health of your employees include: a Dow Employee Assistance Program, available to all employees in every country in which the company is present; a global healthy culture index, with annual assessment and site-based action planning; mental health resources for employees and leaders and various permission options for stages of life or personal needs; leadership training in order to build resilience to stress and depression, and management and energy-focused programs are some of are some of its initiatives.
Another example of a corporate culture focused on the care and mental health of the workforce can be found in the L'Oréal Group. Under its innovative Share & Care social programme, and in line with its Diversity, Equity & Inclusion strategy, a variety of mental health resources and wellness support is offered to employees worldwide.
Specific local initiatives to raise collective awareness and provide support on the topic of mental health have also been implemented across the Group. For example, the Mental Health Ambassador programme was set up in L’Oréal Australia to support employees suffering from mental health issues, and the Never Alone campaign was launched by L’Oréal Middle East to raise awareness and fight the stigma often associated with mental health challenges.
The Group’s brand Maybelline New York is also committed to support those experiencing anxiety and depression with the Maybelline Brave Together global initiative. Under this long-term programme, the brand has partnered with a community of mental health experts around the world to drive the conversation around mental health and make support and resources easily accessible for all.
Margaret Johnston-Clarke, Global Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer, comments: “The Covid-19 pandemic really put a focus on mental health issues. As an employer, we have an important role to play in addressing the mental health challenges our employees may be facing – not only by providing the necessary support when mental health issues do arise, but also by working to promote an open and inclusive culture around mental health issues and a healthy working environment more generally”.
The right to comprehensive health, from an inclusive approach, implies the collaboration and coordination of social and health services, both for health in general and mental health in particular. Mental health can and should be placed on the public agenda and receive the attention it deserves.