The Evolution of Mental Health in the Corporate World: From Taboo to Priority
In the past few decades, mental health in the corporate world has undergone a remarkable transformation. What was once considered a taboo subject has now become a top priority for forward thinking organizations.
Research consistently shows that companies that prioritize mental health for both employees and managers achieve better results and sustainable growth. This growing awareness has led to an increase in corporate investment in employee mental health initiatives.
Yet, as someone working in human resources, I often find myself pondering deeper questions: Why should we invest in mental health? Why are we, as employees, not ready made products? Can collective mental health become a sustainable constant across generations? Why isn’t good mental health a universal standard, embedded in every employee’s foundation? Is there a way to achieve this?
Recently, I discovered a workshop that helped me clarify and deepen my understanding of the connection between these questions. It revealed a vital link between an individual’s mental health in early childhood and their mental health as an adult professional.
The Foundation of Mental Health: Starting with Children
In several elementary schools, including the “Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi” Municipal Primary School in Skopje, the “Parenting for Lifelong Health” program is being implemented. Conducted by the Alternative Institute in collaboration with the World Health Organization and UNICEF, this program offers free workshops for adolescent students and their parents.
The program aims to establish solid foundations for mental health within families and teach skills for maintaining and enhancing it. Activities focus on fostering positive relationships, addressing emotions and sensitive topics, managing stress, setting rules and routines, resolving conflicts, and providing mutual support.
As someone deeply invested in mental health, I was inspired by this initiative’s focus on children. It starts where it matters most at the roots. All significant societal changes must begin with children, as they are the builders of our future and the workforce of tomorrow.
The Connection Between Childhood and Professional Success
I firmly believe there is a profound connection between a child’s mental health and their ability to become a successful professional. Family support plays a pivotal role in this process.
When parents actively engage in their children’s lives and psychological development, they lay a strong foundation, instilling values like empathy, respect, responsibility, and resilience. These values equip children with the skills needed to navigate life’s challenges.
Children who grow up in supportive environments where mental health is openly discussed develop into emotionally intelligent adults. They handle stress and change effectively, approach challenges creatively, and possess strong communication skills.
These individuals excel in teamwork, conflict management, and building positive relationships all essential traits for employees with good mental health. Such employees are happier, more engaged, and more motivated, contributing to healthier work environments.
Building a Culture of Stability and Support
When these values are instilled from an early age, it becomes natural for new generations to transfer this culture of stability, support, and inclusiveness from their families to their workplaces. These universal values and skills are essential across professions whether the children become doctors, leaders, programmers, teachers, or politicians.
The strong interest from parents and children in the “Parenting for Lifelong Health” program is encouraging. It indicates that this generation not only recognizes the importance of mental health but is also ready to work diligently to improve it.
Let us harness this progressive mindset and use it as inspiration to create lasting change.
A Call to Action for Companies
For companies aspiring to demonstrate true social responsibility, investing in children’s mental health programs is one of the most impactful ways to make a difference. By adopting the principle “prevention is better than cure,” today’s investments in such programs will help today’s children grow into future employees with stable and sound mental health.
This proactive approach will reduce the need for companies to allocate significant resources to maintaining mental health in the future. Instead, they can focus on innovation, professional development, and initiatives that improve employees’ quality of life.
In the meantime, these programs have another invaluable impact: they allow children to enjoy their childhood and adolescence with a positive and healthy mindset. Over time, this leads to a society composed of mentally healthy and productive professionals.
These future generations will form the backbone of workplaces and societal structures, driving positive change for all.
Looking Ahead: Turning Vision into Reality
Ok this sounds crazy or even utopian but history shows us that big changes start as impossible ideas. Decades ago someone predicted there would only be a market for a handful of computers in the world. History proved otherwise.
Big societal change requires big and collective action. It’s our responsibility to create a world where children’s mental health and wellbeing comes first. By acting now we can create a workforce that’s mentally healthy, successful and productive.
Now. Let’s do it. Let’s invest in programs for the next genеrations mental health and wellbeing