This text is part of the special World of Work section
The impact of the workplace on mental health is recognized by both health professionals and public authorities. Beyond the prevention of psychosocial risks at work, a practice advocates for (re)giving individuals power over their well-being, with the support of their employer.
When asked to take stock of the mental health of employed people in Canada, Simon Coulombe, associate professor in the Department of Industrial Relations of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Laval University, responds bluntly: “ It’s not going so well. »
And for good reason: the Relief Research Chair in Mental Health, Self-management and Work (CRRSMAT), of which he holds, published last year 2023 portrait of the mental health of SME workers in Canada. The study reveals that almost half of them experience significant psychological distress.
The Chair, which is dedicated to developing knowledge on mental health at work, distinguishes itself from peer research groups by putting the notion of self-management at the forefront of its work. This aims to “empower individuals in the management of their mental health, while recognizing that organizations have a role to play in this empowerment,” indicates the researcher.
For who ? For what ?
“Self-management is the small and big things we do every day to optimize our well-being,” says Simon Coulombe. This may involve going for a walk, running a bath, asking a supervisor for a change of task or confiding our difficulties to a loved one or a professional. “Basically, everyone does self-management, whether or not they have mental health problems,” he summarizes.
The resulting strategies, however, vary depending on the needs of individuals. Thus, the Chair helps show that self-management can be deployed in aspects as varied as the reduction of clinical symptoms, the adoption of positive attitudes, the organization of daily life at work and at home, the maintenance of health physical as well as that of his relationships.
“We see positive impacts in people who practice it for prevention: they feel less stress or insomnia, find more meaning in their work. But also in individuals who have common mental health difficulties such as depression or bipolarity. » For the latter, depending on the severity of the symptoms, self-management can serve as a gateway to other types of support or be carried out in addition to psychotherapy or medication. “The goal is not to replace them,” emphasizes the professor.
Supporting self-management at work
If the benefits seem promising, self-management in mental health can also inspire distrust, in particular because its name borrows from the vocabulary of management, admits Simon Coulombe. “It gives the impression that it is the individual who is acting. This is at the heart of the concept, but the capacity for self-management depends on everything that surrounds the person. […], so the organization has a role to play. »
First, the employer must recognize that workers may have a better understanding of their mental health and their needs than the employer. “It involves putting yourself in a position of listening and supporting people, but without prescribing. » Which can result in carrying out surveys, focus groups or meetings with employees to understand what would help them take care of their mental health, he indicates.
In the field, it is a matter of supervisors not only communicating clearly, offering resources and instructions to carry out tasks, but also inquiring about the well-being of individuals in relation to these and the meaning of their work. However, one in two SME employees report that their manager never or rarely inquires about their state of physical or mental health, again according to the Portrait 2023 produced by the Chair.
A situation which has repercussions on the self-management strategies of workers, according to the holder. The study also indicates that the strategies they use the least (only 32 to 37% of them) are permission to make mistakes, to assert their needs and to think about their environment and their conditions. of work. “Thinking about your work environment is the basis for identifying stress factors that can influence mental health. » As for the possibility of making mistakes and asserting one’s needs and expectations, “it is the permission to be who we are and to bring our weaknesses and our limits to work”, underlines the researcher.
A field of study to nourish
For the years to come, the Relief Chair intends to continue its exploration of mental health self-management practices at work for which studies are still limited. With its partners, including the company Beneva, the research group is currently working on testing several self-management tools for employees and managers, as well as self-management support programs.
The Chair also aims to transmit practice through university training. A course will soon be offered again on the subject at Laval University and a program is also being developed there for continuing education.
Efforts that will pay off if organizational cultures follow suit, maintains Simon Coulombe. “The level to which senior management values the prevention of mental health difficulties is often a good indicator of what is actually happening in the workplace. »
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