Full-time workers at companies that neglect their employees’ mental health are three times more likely to be diagnosed with depression, the John Tung Foundation said yesterday, citing an Australian study.
Amid a spat of suspected workplace bullying reports in the past few months, Yeh Ya-hsin (葉雅馨), head of the foundation’s mental health section, cited a study published in The BMJ a few years ago to warn that workplace bullying can be detrimental to workers’ mental health.
The study, by the University of South Australia’s Psychosocial Safety Climate Observatory, of 1,084 full-time Australian employees — the average age of whom was 47 and 61 percent of whom were male — found that poor management poses a greater risk for depression, the foundation said.
Photo: Taipei Times
It also found that men are more likely to become depressed if their workplace pays little attention to their mental health, it added.
Tsu Juia-hsin (杜家興), a clinical psychologist at the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Jianan Psychiatric Center, said that when someone feels they are being bullied, they should first identify what bullying actions they are experiencing and immediately tell someone they trust.
They should also write down the circumstances of each bullying incident, and then search for available resources, such as their company’s internal reporting channel, human resources department, or external professional psychological counseling or legal assistance, he said.
Workers who are being bullied should also consider changing their job to a healthier work environment after seeking help, so they can establish more supportive relationships in a new workplace, Tsu said.
What is more important is that the workers should try to maintain a positive attitude and focus on the future, rather than the hurt they experienced, he said.
Tsu said men’s mental health is often neglected in the workplace, as society often expects them to be tough and suppress their emotions, making it hard for them to express their stress or seek external help.
That can cause them to develop behavioral changes, physical symptoms or strategies to avoid work, he said.
Managers should show their staff respect and empathy, and listen to their needs, instead of judging them or looking down upon them, he said, adding that they should also encourage workers to pick up healthy recreational activities or hobbies, and learn to relieve their stress to improve their mental health.
If people see their coworkers being bullied, but are afraid to speak up for them, they can quietly collect evidence, such as recordings or write down the bullying behaviors to later act as witnesses when the incidents are reported, Yeh said.
If a coworker is being severely or rudely reprimanded during a meeting, they can try to bring up other topics to shift the focus of attention away from the colleague, she said.
They can also file anonymous complaints to deter bullying, and if they do not receive any response, they should try sending more, she added.
They should also show support and listen to the coworkers that are being bullied, Yeh said.
As bullying behavior is directly associated with the perpetrator’s personality and disrespectful attitude, and most workplace bullying behaviors are from superiors, employers should also try to prevent it by setting rules and principles, creating a workplace culture that allows for mistakes and different opinions, and establishing internal bullying reporting channels, she said.
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