Sunday 10th October is Mental Health Day 2021

Before the coronavirus pandemic starting in the winter of 2019 – how long ago does that sound - mental health was already one of the fastest emerging occupational health and safety concerns, but COVID-19 has made the problem almost an epidemic with the need for support more vital than ever. So many more people across all demographics and ages have developed anxiety and people with existing mental health problems have seen their condition significantly worsened.

If you’re an organisation looking at how you can systematically mental health then ISO 45001, the world’s first ISO standard for occupational health and safety, and published in 2018 requires that mental health as an issue is managed within your OHSMS alongside other health and safety issues. ISO 45003 was also recently published and has been developed to further help organisations focus on and manage their occupational mental health issues in the workplace.

This Sunday is World Mental Health Day 2021 its official theme is “Mental Health in an Unequal World”.

So, I thought perhaps if you’re starting to look at better Mental Health for your employees or even people you know and care about, I’ve put together a short list of websites with some resources you could use to publicise the issue within your organisations.

World Health Organisation - https://lnkd.in/gdt25MD7

Mind UK WMHD 2021 resources - https://lnkd.in/e8pvgruv

Mental Health UK Mental Health UK - https://lnkd.in/gdAEDfX

British Standards Institute ISO 45003 - BSI https://lnkd.in/dvJNf3gz

And finally, a question to you all, Mental Health issues can still appear to be a bit of a 'taboo' subject, do you think 1 day is enough or should Mental Health day be extended?

What do you think? 🤔

#mentalhealth #covid #iqmslearning #healthandsafety #WorldMentalHealthDay