The health insurance provider found – through research conducted with Business in the Community and the BITC Wellbeing Leadership Team – that employees have been hiding mental health conditions from managers during the global pandemic.
 

Men more reserved about mental health than women

Of the 3,624 employees included in the study, just 14 per cent disclosed to their manager that they were suffering from a mental health issue; one-third (30 per cent) of people who have experienced work-related mental ill-health have told no one. And the study also finds that men are significantly more likely to keep their condition a secret (at 35 per cent) than with women (at 26 per cent).

In addition, employees identified work-related pressure as the most common cause of mental health issues (at 51 per cent), while another 35 per cent put symptoms down to workload, long hours, and not taking enough leave. A lack of support in the role was identified by around one-third of participants as being a leading cause of mental health issues – Bupa notes that this may be an indication of employees’ reluctance to share their circumstances.

Working remotely increases the communication problem

“Although mental health has come to the fore during the global pandemic, and addressing these issues is a priority for many businesses, the research shows that a good number of employees feel uncomfortable turning to their manager for help,” commented Mark Allan, Commercial Director at Bupa UK Insurance. “Whilst businesses around the country are focused on creating cultures that are open about mental health it can be difficult for workers, especially when working remotely, to have these kinds of complex conversations.”

As such, Allan explains that Bupa has expanded its partnership with SilverCloud Health – a digital mental health and wellbeing platform providing internet-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (iCBT) and other treatment options – to offer corporate customers using Bupa’s digital portal Bupa Touch access to SilverCloud at no extra charge. Allan says that this will provide a ‘digital route’ for individuals to seek mental health support.

A generational shift in attitudes towards mental health

Elsewhere, a separate study from Bupa Global, as part of its Executive Wellbeing Index, highlighted that there has been a ‘generational shift’ in attitudes towards mental health, with a large percentage (around two-thirds) of business leaders having become more aware of their family’s emotional needs.

Forty-nine per cent of business leaders said that speaking about mental health in their family was seen as a sign of weakness, with two in five (42 per cent) feeling that it would damage their family’s reputation. That has begun to change now though, with individuals becoming more empathetic to the needs of others over the last 12 months. Indeed, due to the impact of the pandemic, including reduced business travel, more family time and many having their own struggles with mental health, two in three (68 per cent) of business leaders are now able to identify symptoms of mental ill-health in their partner or children, including fatigue, disturbed sleep, anger or impatience or low mood, says Bupa.

And this is an important change – breaking down any negative preconceptions about mental health is any important practice to encourage future generations to lead healthier lives, as well as opening up the conversation about the types of support that people need so that policymakers can create tailored cover for these conditions. As Dr Pablo Vandenabeele, Clinical Director for Mental Health at Bupa Global, explained: “While high expectations of children can be healthy, putting them under too much pressure can be harmful. So, it’s really encouraging to see that many of these leaders are keen to ‘break the cycle’ that they may have experienced with their own parents – where mental health was seen as a taboo subject and pressure to follow a specific path was high.”

He continued: “Our research shows that parents are recognising this and are realigning their expectations accordingly, which marks a watershed moment and generational shift in how mental health is perceived, which is very encouraging. Becoming aware that you or someone close to you is struggling is the first step towards getting the help they need.”

In February, Bupa also partnered with Macmillan charity in the UK to offer free mental health support to cancer patients.