Band Aid Approach Failing to Support Mental Health

Employers are failing to support the mental health of their workforces by taking a “Band-Aid” approach and in some cases bullying sufferers, a Perth-based mental health consultant has claimed.

The assertion comes amid Mental Health Week, which occurs this year from October 4 to October 11.

According to Tasha Broomhall, founder of Blooming Minds, the majority of employers in Australia only begin discussing mental health when issues arise. Some even resort to bullying and discriminating against those affected, she suggested.

“Discussions with employers have revealed that workers are bullied, discriminated against and even have their issues dismissed when mental health problems are disclosed,” she said.

Blooming Minds is an organisation which partners with businesses around Australia to improve mental health initiatives.

“We hear a lot about the increasing suicide rate and that being a motivator for initiatives that get employees access to help if and when they need it,” Broomhall continued.

“All that’s doing is slapping a band-aid on the problem – it’s all reactionary and we’re not doing anything to stop the problems in the first place.”

Broomhall advised that employers should be looking at preventative measures to ensure that their work environments support strong mental health, rather than focusing on negative statistics.