Did you know that antidepressant drugs are a £14bn global industry? Yet 1 in 6 people experience a mental health problem (e.g., anxiety or depression) in any given week, and rates of mental ill-health are only increasing, particularly in the younger populations, representing ‘the single largest cause of disability in the UK’ (Gov UK).

Our fascination with and expense on drugs may be lining the pockets of pharmaceutical executives, but it is yet to provide the solution many people so need. Antidepressant drugs provide cosmetic, palliative care and may be effective in short-term crisis management, but they fall short of a curative treatment. We should not simply remove the disabling conditions of life, but build enabling ones. The Positive Psychology movement, founded by Dr Martin Seligman, has operated on this principle since the late 1990s. Seligman argues that we must press on beyond mere symptom relief, instead looking towards a cure.

At 87% we advocate similar principles in our mission to transform mental health in the workplace. We place focus on building better mental health, rather than merely tackling mental ill-health. It is critical that wellbeing improvement is accessible for everyone. Supporting the small percentage of workforces that need specific help is of course very important, but it is yesterday’s thinking. A preventive model instead ensures that support is provided for all employees, helping people to stay well and improve before they reach crisis point. This is not only a win for your people, but a win for business: improved staff wellbeing means improved productivity and lower staff absence and turnover rates.

And this all works through 1) measurement and 2) education. Without measurement, business leaders simply have no way of knowing what is or isn’t working within their existing wellbeing strategy. Much like when people go on a weight loss diet - how can you ever know how much weight you’ve lost unless you measured it in the first place? Our employee wellbeing assessment is therefore like stepping on the weighing scales for the first time. We help you to baseline wellbeing across your organisation, before tracking changes over time and across different populations. Tailored AI-driven recommendations then help you to focus wellbeing initiatives where, and on whom, they are needed most.

Not only are business leaders flying blind, but so too are your people. Without knowing the fundamentals of mental health, how can we ever expect them to look after themselves. It is absolutely pivotal then to give all employees (including managers) the skills and knowledge to manage their own mental fitness, and to support that of others. 87% eLearning provides such skills training, a series of simple, video-led micro modules that helps your employees to help themselves and to be better able to understand and cope with challenges in their work and personal lives. While there are many ways individuals can safeguard and build their own mental health, including self-care techniques, the impetus lies with business leaders to effect change. Wellbeing measurement and skills training should be at the very heart of this.

Closing remarks

We can no longer beat around the bush: there is a mental health crisis in the UK. A shift from intervention towards prevention is key in combatting ever-increasing rates of mental health disorders. To build better mental health, we must first measure it, and we must provide people the skills to manage and improve their own mental health.

Let’s move from short-term crisis management to long-term flourishing. 87% can help you to achieve this - get in touch today to learn how.