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Yesterday we reported on a  Workplace Insights piece showing that the challenge of managing mental wellness in the workplace may be even greater than previously thought: “Two thirds of workers too embarrassed to tell boss about mental health issues.”

The reports adds even more evidence to support the  role that a well-run workplace wellness program can play in promoting mental health awareness in the office.

The piece states: “New research from job site CV-Library claims that nearly two thirds (60.2 percent) of employees feel embarrassed about disclosing information on the state of their mental health with their employer. What’s more, 60.8 percent feel they cannot talk about it with their boss.”

Another study from Time to Change, a UK-based campaign run by charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, and others, “aimed to understand gaps between policy and practice; differing opinions between managers and employees around support provided; management’s ability to provide support; and practical steps which can be taken to close these gaps.”

Some findings:

• 37% of employees reported having had to take time off work because of stress, low mood or poor mental health, 68% reported to having gone into work at some point when experiencing poor mental health.
• 59% of all respondents said poor mental health was a primary factor that impacted on their ability to concentrate at work. 40% of respondents reported that they found it dif cult to juggle a number of tasks, took longer to complete tasks (39%) and that they tended to put off challenging work (38%).
• Half of all respondents noted that poor mental health was a result of a combination of problems at work and in their personal life.

The results show how significant mental wellness remains not only in terms of personal health, but also in terms of business health — the real business impacts that can affect employers who don't help employees address their mental health challenges.

Coming up: What can managers and employers do to help?