If you look at your workforce as being on a spectrum of mental health, people will appear at different points along that line.
At one end, you’ll have people who are doing just fine. They feel as though they’re on an even keel. If they have any worries or anxieties, they may get help by talking to a friend, using a mindfulness app, or journaling, and that will be enough to see them through.
At the other end of the spectrum, you might have people who need urgent help for their mental health. They may go to A&E, ask for a referral from their GP, or get immediate support from your Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
Sometimes referred to as the “Missing Middle”, the Lost Majority are the people in your organisation who are somewhere in the centre of the spectrum – neither 100% well, nor feeling like they need an emergency intervention.
They’re the people who might be finding it difficult to juggle work and other outside pressures. Maybe they’ve suffered a bereavement or have financial problems. Often, they have a form of anxiety or depression that they don’t feel is serious enough to require medication, but which inhibits their ability to perform their role.
These statistics about mental health in the workplace give us an idea of how many people may fall into the Lost Majority category.
“A key characteristic of ‘Lost Majority’ people is that their problems frequently remain out of sight of managers,” says James Murray, Director of Kooth Work, which provides mental health solutions for businesses.
Undetected employee mental health affects workplace health safety
“These are people who mask their problems, keep their head down, and just keep going. They don’t think their worries are that serious and, in any case, don’t feel they have time to stop and deal with them.”
Left unchecked, these problems can escalate and culminate into more serious problems such as burnout, absenteeism, workplace accidents, or the need to access emergency support. Or they may simply persist, and your workforce will carry on without resolving its presenteeism issues.
“Fewer than 50% of employees are prepared to discuss their mental health, so ‘below the waterline’ distress like anxiety, depression, or suicidal thoughts go under the radar for many leaders,” says Murray.
This is even more concerning given that a recent Kooth Work study discovered that 28% of all adults using its service reported experiencing suicidal thoughts.
“We know that this is a particular issue within key worker sectors,” adds Murray. “There is an inherent urgency to maintain operations and keep going, even through the toughest of times; it is unsurprising that people mask these issues.”
If one in six workers are experiencing depression, anxiety, or stress, but the majority won’t ask for help, how do you help them get back on track? This question has serious implications both for employees and for organisations.
“All directors say that people are their greatest asset,” says Murray, “but if you’re not looking after their mental health, you’re looking at a massive waste of potential.”
“If companies don’t proactively support the Lost Majority, they will always just be waiting to see the outcome of poor mental health, which will manifest itself in absenteeism, long-term sickness, and people leaving. But, by that stage, it’s too late. They’ll only be measuring the end result of doing nothing.”
If you want to reach the silent majority of employees who may be suffering from mental health concerns, you must be proactive and find a solution that goes beyond mindfulness apps at one end and medical intervention at the other. You need to:
Having an ecosystem of support can help reach the Lost Majority
“Organisations need to shift towards adopting a proactive approach to mental health,” says Murray.
“We spend a third of our lives at work, and we all deserve to be happy and to flourish there. Kooth Work helps employees to deal with adverse experiences, build resilience, and learn the skills they need to cope with what’s coming next.”
Find out how Kooth Work could help improve the mental health of the Lost Majority in your workforce.