When Matthew Carter became a dad, he admits it was a lot to cope with.

After struggling and being diagnosed with postnatal depression, his first reaction was – “I didn’t know this was something that could happen to men.”

As PANDA ambassador, Carter, shares his story in the hope more people like him don’t suffer in silence.

I was really scared to become a dad. But meeting the love of my life, and seeing her dreams of being a mother, along with her support and confidence in me encouraged me to want to become a dad,” Carter said.

All three of my children’s births were traumatic for my wife and I, and my anxieties and fears of failure overwhelmed me after the births of my first two children. I was diagnosed with postnatal depression and, until then, had no idea it could happen to men.

My wife was an absolute rock throughout it all and luckily, we were able to find some light in the darkness in each other.

I started seeing a clinical psychologist through my employer. I’m such an advocate for not only therapy but finding the right therapist for you.

I was more recently diagnosed with ADHD and autism. I then went through a period of grief and mourning before staring to heal, educate and find the right supports.

I’m confident in saying I’m now on the other side and beginning to thrive as a neurodivergent father, husband and human.

My advice to other parents would be:

• Talk it out!
• Fill your bucket with love and be around people who bring you up, not pull you down.
• Don't be afraid to walk away from relationships or friendships that leave you feeling drained.
• Find like-minded communities online to workshop your emotion.
• Get professional support. Don't be afraid to reach out to therapists to find out a bit about them before requesting a referral through your GP. 
• Most important of all, be kind to yourself. Take comfort in knowing you aren't alone and if you feel like you have no support, contact PANDA or any of the other incredible and necessary resources available to you.

Bupa members also have access to our Parent and wellbeing program, delivering mental health support for new parents and parents-to-be. It’s designed to support anyone having trouble adjusting to pregnancy and parenthood, including feeling low, anxiety and other mental health challenges during this time.

By talking about feelings, children then get an understanding about what they’re experiencing. It helps them practice how to regulate and process their feelings in a way that promotes healthy development. The more we become more aware of the broad variety of our emotions and talk about them, the more emotionally intelligent we can become.

Without listening to how we’re feeling, emotions can affect how we behave without us realising.

The benefits to befriending your feelings.

Our feelings are there for a reason, so giving yourself time and space to experience them is powerful. Processing feelings in a healthy way gives us an opportunity to make positive changes within our environment, it also helps us better problem solve, understand ourselves, improve relationships and lower our stress levels.

Multiple feelings are normal – even if they’re conflicting.

Life isn’t black and white, and experiencing uncertainty is a part of human nature. We go through many different experiences resulting in conflicting feelings, sometimes they exist at the same time. When we can acknowledge and accept this, we don’t spend as much time and energy trying to work out which is the “right” emotion to have. That lets us focus on finding how best to navigate these complex experiences.

Big feelings and how to work with them.

Big emotions can be overwhelming and when they come up it’s often an indicator our sympathetic nervous system has been activated. This is the system that’s important for our survival in the face of threats, but it doesn’t help us to rationally think through challenges.

Quick tips to manage the big ‘feels’

• Take some deep breaths or engage in things that help us to feel relaxed or grounded. That way you might feel like you return to a place where we can think clearly about your feelings and remind yourself that they’re there for a reason.
• Talk openly about your feelings with those you trust. When we talk about how we’re feeling, it helps us to connect with people that matter and allows us to share validation of our emotions while better equipping us to support those around us.
• Practice self-compassion and be kind to yourself as you navigate big feelings. Sometimes it can take time to work through challenging emotions.
• If conflicting or big feelings are impacting your ability to engage in the things you enjoy – reaching out for support is the best way to help process these feelings and make good choices to support ourselves as best as possible.

Even the youngest among us can experience issues with their mental wellbeing, with Kids Helpline suggesting that the number of children seeking help is growing year on year.

In fact, according to a report issued in 2018, Kids Helpline has seen the number of children aged between 10 and 14 contacting them in 2017 more than doubling, to seek help for a whole range of things including family relationships, emotional wellbeing, counselling and issues with dating and partners.

Getting support for mental health issues early is important, and that’s one of the reasons why we’ve partnered with Kids Helpline to sponsor the Kids Helpline @ School Wellbeing program. The program is a free counsellor-led session, delivered in the classroom to primary school students around the country.

WATCH:

“In the first 12 months of the program, we’ve been really pleased to reach more than 15,000 students across Australia, with about 200 schools participating so far,” shared Kate Driessen, Bupa Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Manager. 

“Teachers are telling us that their students are far more likely to exhibit better choices and decision making in the future as a result of the program”.

The program is designed to increase resilience and encourage help seeking by children, using early intervention to help set children up with the tools they need to look after their emotional wellbeing into the future.

“Importantly it has allowed us to increase the number of students we can have conversations with, to promote help seeking, to promote early intervention, to promote the idea that it’s ok to reach out for help if you need it and that’s a great thing in our book” said Tony FitzGerald, Virtual Services Manager Kids Helpline.

To find out more about the school program, or to get your school involved, you can visit Kids Helpline.

As a parent, if you need some guidance or are worried about the mental health of your children, we also offer the Bupa Mental Health Navigation Service to our Health Insurance members. The service is available 24/7, nationwide, to all Bupa members who have an active Hospital product that covers themselves and their children. It’s designed to help identify your child’s needs, and then help guide you to the next best step to take.

To find out more about this service, please visit our Mental Health Navigation Service information page.

And of course, if you have an emergency need for support, you can contact:

• Lifeline: 13 11 14, or
• Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800

Annette Schmiede, Executive Leader of the Bupa Health Foundation (BHF) announced the two successful recipients of the grants. They are:

• Best care, first time – Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney

• Follow my journey - Central Queensland Wide Bay and Sunshine Coast PHN

​This is the first time BHF has provided funding of this nature under a new grants submission process.

"We believe that these projects show great potential in addressing this pressing healthcare matter for Australia," said Ms Schmiede.

“Mental health has been a focus for the BHF for some time. As a health insurer, Bupa has seen mental health claims growth far exceed all other areas of claims. When talking to the community and Bupa customers we hear consistently that they want community-based care.”

“We undertook considerable testing across the research community and the general community to identify the challenges. We then asked the research sector to respond, with high impact research that would translate into improved services.”

Following an overwhelming response from the research community, the two successful projects were selected for their collaborative approach to research aimed at improving the consumers experience and wellbeing through new models of care.

Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre responded to the BHF’s call with a youth-focused, technology driven proposal. Professor Ian Hickie from the Sydney Brain and Mind Centre said it was important to measure the tangible benefits technology provides in empowering young people to access the best care.

"We want to test whether better coordinated care with new technology saves lives and makes more productive lives by better coordinating the care," said Professor Hickie.

Taking a person-centred approach, the Central Queensland Wide Bay Sunshine Coast PHN use their funding to evaluate and improve on care delivery following the recent introduction of a stepped care model in their region.

Assoc. Professor Pattie Hudson, CEO of Central Queensland Wide Bay Sunshine Coast Primary Health Network, said little is known about how consumers move through various stages of mental health care, or the emotional toll moving between providers may take.

"The research project will use evidence to determine the patterns of service usage across the system, but it will also be heavily informed by the voices and experiences of those that use these services. As far as we know, this will be the first system-wide evaluation of the mental health system from a consumer perspective," said Assoc. Professor Hudson.

Each episode features a real-life story from a parent, with Kids Helpline counsellor Leo providing expert insight and advice.

Find Mumbles, and more resources for connecting families here. Or search Mumbles in your favourite podcast platform.

14^th Jan - Episode One: The impact of bullying

Bullying is awful, no matter what the circumstances. So, what happens when it goes so far that your child has to move schools? Renee shares her heartfelt story in our very first episode.

21^st Jan - Episode Two: Struggles with everyday anxiety

What’s it really like dealing with anxiety at a young age? Debbie shares how she responded to her daughter’s fears and helped her to move to a place of feeling more confident and in control.

29^th Jan - Episode Three: Social anxiety and withdrawal

Starting high school can be a stressful time, especially for young people struggling with anxiety. Rachel shares her story of how she has supported her daughter through social situations, and helped her build better coping strategies.

4^th Feb - Episode Four: Family life with ADHD

What’s it like to have multiple children with ADHD? Ruth shares how she supports her three boys, who all have various types of ADHD. It’s a wonderful story of understanding, adapting and growing together.

11^th Feb - Episode Five: Teens and social media

How do you support teens who have a history of trauma and an addiction to their smartphones? Carlie shares her deeply personal story that’s highly relatable in today’s tech-savvy world.

More information:

For information on the Kids Helpline @ School Wellbeing program and to register your interest click here.

Kids Helpline is Australia’s only free, private and confidential 24/7 phone and online counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25 – call 1800 55 1800 or visit kidshelpline.com.au.

“Recent research has found that loneliness can be just as, if not more lethal than smoking 15 cigarettes a day.”

“Loneliness presents a big risk for premature death, particularly in older people and can be associated with depression and a faster rate of cognitive decline and dementia.”

“Older people are most susceptible to feeling loneliness especially when we’re all busy shopping for last minute Chrissy presents, which is why the best present you can give this year is presence,” he said.

From improving our health and happiness to promoting a sense of belonging, boosting mood and making friends, the case for volunteering is strong which is why Bupa's volunteer program is so powerful in combatting loneliness in some of our residents who may not get regular visitors. 

Loneliness isn't the same thing as being alone. Some isolation is good for your mental wellbeing. But Dr Ross says that being alone needs to be a choice in order for it to be healthy.

“Older people who want companionship yet lack visitors are more likely to experience the physical and emotional effects of being alone.”

“Technology can help or hurt, it's simply a tool but for too many people technology has led to substituting online connections for offline in-person encounters and for older people who are not tech savvy and grew up without social media, the reality is bleak.”

Financial woes, health scares, and everyday issues can take a bigger emotional toll on people who lack social and emotional support.

"As a society, we have grown our Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat friends, but our personal connections and interactions have deteriorated.”

“If you or a loved one are struggling to combat loneliness, seek professional help by either going to see your GP or head to www.beyondblue.org.au for tips on how to maintain a positive mind-set or feel free to call our aged care support line on 1800 957 237.”

“Depression and other mental health issues can cause you to feel disconnected which can create a self-perpetuating cycle that can be difficult to break, while not easy, with the right support, wellness is possible,” he said.

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BeYouAtBupa: Valerie, Cleaner, Bupa Aged Care Morphettville in South Australia.

#BeYouAtBupa is a series of stories and inspiration from within Bupa Health Insurance, Bupa Aged Care, Bupa Dental, Bupa Optical and Bupa Therapy.

Read more from the #BeYouAtBupa series here. You'll also find our stories on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

The 8 millionth call came through via phone late on Monday afternoon last week.

Bupa proudly supports the invaluable work of Kids Helpline and its counsellors, who provide care and understanding to young Australians when they need it most.

“Since the launch of the service in 1991 a young person has attempted to contact Kids Helpline every 56 seconds and on average we manage to deal with around 800 calls or online requests for help every day,” said yourtown/Kids Helpline CEO Tracy Adams.

“We want to take a moment to recognise our dedicated counsellors and the teams behind the call centre, as well as the community, who fund more than three-quarters of our service by buying tickets in the yourtown Art Union prize draws,” said Ms Adams.

“While the 8 million figure is an important milestone for us, we know our work isn’t done. While we do our very best with the resources we have, more than 186,000 calls and requests for help have already gone unanswered this year alone.”

For 21-year-old Molly, the Kids Helpline service has been vital for her very survival, having called the counsellors numerous times when suffering serious mental health issues.

"There are times I know I wouldn’t have made it through to the next morning if I hadn’t been able to call Kids Helpline. The counsellors have helped me calm down and are able to get me thinking reasonably again. There’s no way I would be here today if it wasn’t for the service,” explains Molly.

Molly’s mother Sue agrees: “I will always be eternally grateful to Kids Helpline. Without them I doubt we would still have our beautiful daughter.”

The top five reasons young people contacted Kids Helpline in 2017 were: mental health issues, family relationships, emotional wellbeing, suicidal thoughts and dating/partner relationships.

Bupa partners with Kids Helpline to provide the Kids Helpline @ School (KAS) Wellbeing program. The free program is delivered in primary schools around Australia by professional Kids Helpline counsellors, connecting the counsellor to the classroom using video technology, and covers a range of topics including bullying, anxiety, building resilience and promoting help seeking behaviours.

Jane Power, Chief Marketing and Customer Officer at Bupa A&NZ is pleased that Bupa are supporting the @ School Wellbeing program.

“Most importantly, it connects children to the Kids helpline service, so that they know no matter the problem or where they are based, there is someone there to listen and guide them,” says Ms Power.

The partnership is well on its way to achieving its target of rolling its in-school education program to 10,000 children this year. Register for the free school program.

Read the Kids Helpline press release in full.

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Mental health. Wellbeing. Connection.

For those who don’t know; Kids Helpline is Australia’s only free, private and confidential 24/7 phone and online counselling service for young people aged 5-25.

I’m bursting with pride that we can play a part to support a service so important for the wellbeing of Australian kids and families.

Experienced Kids Helpline counsellors, Jessica and Tony, shared their insights into how young people feel about bullying and anxiety, and provided valuable ideas and support for our parents and carers in the room, me being one!

For anyone out there who’d love to get the ball rolling, our Bupa Family Challenge gives you free and fun weekly inspiration, to make the most of the everyday moments to talk, connect and improve family wellbeing.

And for those with kids in primary school, check out the Kids Helpline Wellbeing at School program.

Thanks to Bupa’s support, the free program connects over 10,000 primary school students across Australia to personalised virtual classroom sessions covering topics like bullying, resilience, friendship and safety.

Kids Helpline is Australia’s only free, private and confidential 24/7 phone and online counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25 – call 1800 55 1800 or visit kidshelpline.com.au

October is Mental Health month and I’m so proud to be part of an organisation that connects our customers and our people to better health and wellbeing.

Written by Jane Power, Chief Marketing and Customer Officer at Bupa A&NZ.

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Have a caring conversation this R U OK? Day

Over the past year to 18 months, on a global basis we have witnessed a real recognition of the importance of good mental health. I have seen this in both the public health arenas and increasingly in the business sector. I recently visited Kaiser Permanente in the US, one of three US healthcare providers, and it described this recognition of the importance of good mental health as “putting the head back on the body”.

For far too long, society has seen health as almost completely synonymous with physical health and mental health was seen as a weakness, or something to “get over”. We have made great strides in reducing the stigma around mental health but there is still more that can be done, which is why it’s important to continue these conversations.

Over the years I have had bouts of depression which have never been easy, but that’s me. I wouldn’t want to lose that aspect of myself or I wouldn’t be me. Yes, I want to be able to cope with those challenging periods in my life, but I don’t have a disease that needs to be exorcised.

A report by Public Health England last week looked at the issue of physical health in those with severe mental illness. It found that those with this condition experience higher levels of physical illnesses and this occurs relatively early in their lives with the highest rates being in the 15-34 age group. This report confirms previous research and once more reinforces the need to support the whole of an individual. This is further emphasised by a recent study by mental health charity Mind. The study of 44,000 UK workers into workplace wellbeing found widespread levels of poor mental health at work with nearly half of all respondents surveyed saying they had experienced a mental health problem in their current job.

Mind has subsequently developed an online mental health gateway for employers. This provides information, advice and resources to help employers support their staff.

I’m proud that Bupa is advocating for better mental health support and awareness. The role of the manager is crucial in these situations, as staff are much more likely to raise issues and seek support from managers who can spot mental health issues in their team. That is why we have created new training aimed at building confidence in managers in how to have helpful conversations around mental health with their teams, and some of our managers at Bupa UK have trained as mental health first aiders. We have also created a Mental Health hub for our UK employees, which brings together all of the resources available to them and directs them to support available.

For World Mental Health Day, we have also launched a global campaign across Bupa focusing on the Power of Conversations. We have created a short video of employees talking about times when a good conversation has made a big difference for them. We have also partnered with Dr Bill Mitchell, a clinical psychologist, to create a new series of podcasts looking at how you can support a colleague at work with mental health in mind and how to support a child’s mental health.

Meanwhile, earlier this year Bupa UK launched a new feature in our business health insurance policies - Bupa Business Mental Health Advantage, providing employees with support and treatment to manage mental health issues.

From my perspective if we can help employers to all become aware and supportive of their employees then we will have taken a huge step, and can reflect on World Mental Health Day this year from a much better position than ever before, a position of hope. There is still a great deal to be done, so let’s all put the head back on the body and make everyday a good mental health day.

About Paul Zollinger-Read

Paul became Chief Medical Officer of Bupa in July 2012. He has led a distinguished medical career within the UK’s National Health Service, both as a GP and as CEO of a number of Primary Care Trusts. He has previously been the Medical and Primary Care Advisor at the King’s Fund. Paul leads the Bupa-powered CMO Network.

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These conversations give you a chance to connect and support the wellbeing of those around you, and check-in with those who may be struggling.

Emily Meates, Mental Health and Wellbeing Specialist talks about the importance of preventative mental health awareness and what Bupa is doing to help raise awareness is this space.

“Preventative mental health awareness campaigns have never been more important as eight people die by suicide each day Australia and every 16 hours a New Zealander takes their own life.

“Bupa had 54 sites across Australia participating in raising awareness of suicide prevention and having caring conversations. These sites have opted in to receive an ‘activation pack’, which includes R U OK? Day merchandise, useful resources, internal and external avenues of support for mental illness and crisis situations, and decorations and posters to help create visibility.

“The activation pack initiative was first launched at Bupa in 2017, and this year we have seen a 30% increase in uptake, which is really positive.

“Each year, we hope to get bigger and better as more people begin to support and raise awareness of this very significant campaign,” said Ms Meates.

There are many reasons people may be struggling, from suicidal thoughts to financial crisis, relationship struggles and mental health issues.

It is time to start, and continue, conversations that can help those you care about open-up, feel supported and find ways to better manage what's on their mind.

If you are feeling suicidal, or facing a crisis, please seek immediate help:

In Australia:

Lifeline – 13 11 14 (available 24/7)

Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467 (available 24/7)

Kids Helpline (for young people aged 5 to 25 years): 1800 55 1800

In New Zealand:

Lifeline: 0800 543 354 (available 24/7)

Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)

Kidsline (for children and teens): 0800 54 37 54 (available 24/7)

Find out more about R U OK? Day and the resources available.

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"Wear it Purple was founded in 2010 in response to young people taking their own lives as a result of bullying and harassment from the lack of acceptance of their sexuality or gender identity.

“You only need to look at the research to know more needs to be done."

The research Jannsen referred to is alarming:

• 75% of LGBTIQ youth experience some form of discrimination

• 24.4% of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual people experience depression (general population 6.8%)

• 36.2% of Trans Australians experience depression (general population 6.8%)

Across Bupa, our people celebrated Wear It Purple day by holding bake sales and wearing purple to show young LGBTI and rainbow people they are loved, supported and empowered to bring their whole selves to work and to life.

"Active inclusion in all its forms for our LGBTI young people is critical to ensuring their long term emotional health and well-being in identifying their gender expression and sexuality.

“In the workplace context, this creates performance energy, and it means better engagement and business outcomes.

“In a wider sense, it creates a community which is embracing, diverse and resilient," said Moana Weir, Acting Director of Corporate Affairs.

Further, recent findings in the Diversity Council of Australia Out At Work report confirms that being out at work means that LGBTIQ+ employees are 50% more likely to innovate, 35% more likely to work highly effectively and 28% more likely to provide excellent customer service.

It's this active inclusion and support that supports our people and our customers to live longer, happier, healthier lives.

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The WHO recently announced that 'gaming disorder' will appear in an updated version of the International Classification of Diseases.

In the updated version of the classification, the disorder is described as;

"A pattern of gaming behaviour characterised by impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities. The behaviour pattern is of sufficient severity to result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning"

Computer game addiction or just a keen interest?

There are key differences between an enthusiastic interest in video or computer games and an emerging disorder - addiction is considered an impulsive engagement in behaviour and it can have physical or psychological effects on someone’s health.

Addiction is often associated with drug taking, gambling and drinking alcohol and is often characterised in circumstances where people begin to experience negative and detrimental effects from their behaviours, “but struggle to disengage from the activity that may be causing them harm”.

Bupa Senior Advisor, Mental Health and Wellbeing and registered Psychologist, Chanel Nesci said as with any addiction, it is important for all of us to acknowledge any activity that could have the potential to affect our ability to function or cause distress.

“Gaming is a popular activity amongst children and young people and it can be concerning for parents, regardless of whether it is affecting their child’s ability to function in their day to day life. This includes school, work attendance and performance, or participating in other interests.

“However, the ability to clearly distinguish between an enthusiastic interest in gaming and an emerging “gaming disorder” is important in order to reduce fear in parents and prevent tension and relationship difficulties,” adds Ms Nesci.

What to do if you're worried about gaming addiction

Ms Nesci explains that labelling any behaviours as a disorder without the advice of a professional could have a negative impact on an individual and society.

“It is also important to gain professional advice as to how parents are best to intervene, to ensure that other mental illnesses, such as anxiety and depression are not overlooked, due to similarities in presenting symptoms,” Ms Nesci said.

With the growth in popularity of computer games like Fortnite Battle Royale, parents can help in playing a role to ensure a child’s physical and psychological health by keeping communication lines open.

“Parents can assist by referring their children to a specialised help line or trained professional to increase awareness around how to navigate these complex situations. and support their children to ensure positive health outcomes are achieved,” adds Ms Nesci.

Bupa has recently partnered with Kids Helpline to sponsor the Kids Helpline @ School Wellbeing program, free counsellor-led sessions delivered in the classroom to primary school students around the country.

Kids Helpline’s latest report shows more tweens are contacting the free hotline than ever, on major issues including anxiety, online addiction, self-harm, eating disorders and thoughts of suicide.

Kids Helpline is Australia’s only free, private and confidential 24/7 phone and online counselling service specifically for children and young people aged 5 to 25 years. Kids Helpline counsellors can be reached for free on 1800 55 1800 or online at www.kidshelpline.com.au

CEO Tracy Adams says it's a step in the right direction as a key focus for the organisation is to encourage early help seeking behaviour. 

“By addressing emotional wellbeing issues early, more serious mental health concerns can be averted before they escalate,” Ms Adams said.

Kids Helpline says the issues tweens are most concerned about are varied. 

“Young people in the 10 to 14 age group tell us they experience issues ranging from anxiety, problems sleeping, online addiction, anger issues or mood swings through to self-harm, eating disorders, depression and thoughts of suicide.

Mental health was the most common reason kids and young people contacted Kids Helpline for counselling in 2017 (26%), followed by family relationships (18%), emotional wellbeing (17%), suicide-related issues (16%) and dating and partner relationships (10%).

Bupa has recently partnered with Kids Helpline to sponsor the Kids Helpline @ School Wellbeing program, free counsellor-led sessions delivered in the classroom to primary school students around the country.

The program is designed to increase resilience and encourage help seeking by children, using early intervention to help set children up with the tools they need to look after their emotional wellbeing into the future. To find out more about the schools program or to get your school involved visit www.kidshelpline.com.au/school.

There was a significant gender gap in terms of who was reaching out for help in 2017, with 74% female, 24% male and 2% intersex, trans or gender diverse.

Ms Adams said the complexity of issues reported to Kids Helpline over the last 20 years has grown substantially with more children and young people needing longer term support.

“In 2017, 64% of all contacts were from children and young people who had contacted Kids Helpline before, and were receiving occasional or ongoing support,” she said.

“More complex issues have also meant the total counselling time with young people has risen significantly, increasing by 72% in just 10 years.

“Duty of Care sessions where emergency interventions are required also continues to rise, increasing by 40% from 2013-17.”

For more information on the Kids Helpline@ School Wellbeing program and to register your interest click here.

Kids Helpline is Australia’s only free, private and confidential 24/7 phone and online counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25 – call 1800 55 1800 or visit www.kidshelpline.com.au.

The full 2017 KHL Insights Report can be found here.

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Only 7% of Australian's are "healthy", are you one of them?

The survey data, released to coincide with World Mental Health Month, revealed  while 81% of Aussie workers said their employer cares about the mental health of workers, alarmingly 43% of people who had experienced mental health issue said they felt penalised for talking about their mental health at work.

Dr Paul Bates, Bupa Australia Chief Medical Officer, said the contrast in results between the general workforce and those with mental health issues showed that there was still much work to do.

“At first glance, these results look very positive on how mental health is viewed and managed within the workplace,” Dr Bates said.

“Most workplaces have policies in place and training for staff and managers to handle mental health, 69% of all workers believed their manager would know how to support them if they were affected by mental health and three quarters of workers believed they would know how to support a colleague.

“However, while there was increased awareness of mental health among workers and managers, those who had experienced mental health issues felt less comfortable.

“We saw a significant number of people feeling penalised for raising mental health as an issue in the workplace, with half of them believing they would be overlooked for promotion and almost the same number for a pay rise.

“Even the idea of requesting time off due to mental health saw 60% of workers worry about possible consequences.

“We’ve come a long way and the subject is far less taboo than it was only a few years ago, but clearly there is more work we can do. Workplaces where there were mental health policies and training programs received higher scores than those that didn’t. The call to action here is for workplaces to put the steps in place to make handling mental health the same as any other issue,” Dr Bates said.

This month, Bupa are supporting their people and workplaces in Australia by providing a series of educational mental health content covering common concerns such as depression, anxiety and stress. This content is used in conjunction with mental health seminars and workshops that Bupa provide as part of their suite of workplace health solutions.

The content is freely available along with other information for businesses can be found at http://www.bupahealthierworkplaces.com.au/