As a supervisor, it’s your job to identify potential problems. Some of those problems could be related to mental health conditions. Being aware of the symptoms of mental health problems will help you notice if one of your people is moving towards a mental health crisis.
In some cases, the symptoms of mental health problems are the same for men and women. For instance, men and women who have depression typically feel sad and hopeless, they get bored with activities they used to enjoy, and they feel tired or have a hard time sleeping. However, there are some symptoms that are more unique to men and can cause problems on the jobsite.
Men who are suffering from depression are more likely to:
- Have difficulty getting along with others. Lash out with anger or be generally irritable.
- Avoid personal problems by spending a lot of time at work or on hobbies.
- Use alcohol or drugs to self-medicate in order to deal with the problem.
- Behave in a way that’s controlling, violent, or abusive.
- Engage in risky behavior, such as reckless driving or taking chances at work.
As a supervisor, you may be able to avert a mental health crisis that could affect overall safety and productivity on your jobsite. Here are a few ideas: 1) Normalize talking about mental health at work. Just hearing others talk about mental health can be very helpful for those who may habitually bury their feelings. 2) Identify situations at work that create stress, such as a rushed deadline, an unpleasant client, or a delayed order. Then acknowledge the situation and thank your people for their patience and hard work. 3) Go out of your way to ensure that the people who work with you feel seen and heard. You don’t have to agree with or accept their ideas. Listening is often enough. 4) Acknowledge people who’ve suffered a loss or had a big success. And, importantly, 5) know how to direct people to programs that can support their mental health.
Here are some resources for people in crisis.
- Call or text 988 for free, confidential crisis counseling, 24/7 or visit the website for an online chat in English or in Spanish.
- Text “Talk” to 741741 for help in English
- Text “Ayuda” to 741741 for help in Spanish
- Veterans can text a counselor at 838255 at the Veterans Crisis Line