Today is World Mental Health Day, and this year’s theme is, “It is time to prioritize mental health in the workplace.”
As firm believers in proactive mental health support, we wholeheartedly agree.
There’s one very important way businesses can boost employees’ mental health effectively and beneficially. In a nutshell: Businesses seeking to thrive should adopt family-friendly postures.
A 2021 study examined outside influences on the well-being of high-tech employees. The study found that family support “exerted a critical driving effect on sense of well-being,” especially for workers with very demanding jobs.
The study recommended flexibility in terms of work arrangements so that employees can balance family obligations. Happier employees, the study said, perform better and more productively.
“Because family support is given without expecting anything in return, employees feel at ease while enjoying the love and care of family,” the study said. “Therefore, the positive influence of family support generates positive effects for employees in terms of work engagement, and they experience subjective well-being through the positive effects spilling over into their personal life.”
Workplaces that recognize the importance of family obligations — and offer flexibility for them — can help alleviate the tension of competing responsibilities. Support from family then helps relieve job stress. And overall wellness tends to boost performance in all aspects of life. (We’ve written before about the business case for mental health at work and at home.)
Our therapists work with families of neurodivergent children; these families typically experience heightened levels of stress. But family support plus a supportive employer can truly make a difference – with the positive ripple effects extending far beyond the family. Find out more about Pariva Health’s unique approach to providing hope and help for families.