Breaking Mental Health Stigma in the Workplace

Breaking Mental Health Stigma in the Workplace: An Essential Strategy for Talent Retention

We’re diving back into the captivating dialogue Association Chat had with Nabil El-Ghoroury, psychologist and trailblazer at Executive Therapy and Consulting, where we bravely confronted the societal stigma surrounding mental health in the workplace, shedding crucial light on this pivotal issue.

Given the gravity and timeliness of mental health concerns today, we believe the episode deserves another round of exploration. So, we’re serving up some of the most insightful, valuable, and compelling takeaways from this conversation.

Our aim? To arm you with practical insights and a fresh perspective on how to promote mental health wellness in the professional world, a topic that’s become increasingly critical in the wake of the global pandemic.

Whether you’re a leader, a team member, or anyone with a vested interest in workplace well-being, these nuggets of wisdom are sure to inform, inspire, and guide your approach to mental health in your own professional environment.

“So many of the pejoratives we use in our world, reference mental health in a negative way… I think there is something going on right now… mental health is having its moment.” – Nabil El-Ghoroury

Watch the whole episode! 

Main Points for Your Notes:

1. The Increasing Awareness of Mental Health:

The dialogue began with El-Ghoroury acknowledging the increasing awareness of mental health issues. The global pandemic and its associated challenges, from social isolation to work-life disruptions, have heightened the need for mental health support. “Mental health is having its moment,” says El-Ghoroury, and it’s time we seize the opportunity to address this pressing issue.

2. The Prevailing Stigma:

One of the reasons for the delayed attention to mental health in workplaces, as El-Ghoroury pointed out, is the lingering stigma. However, there’s a shift occurring, particularly among younger generations, who are more open about therapy and mental health struggles. This openness is vital in changing the narrative and fostering a more supportive work environment.

3. Mental Health’s Impact on Employee Retention and Recruitment:

El-Ghoroury emphasized that creating a culture that promotes mental health has direct benefits for both retention and recruitment. Employees today value mental health support from their employers, and a workplace culture that genuinely prioritizes mental health can result in higher employee satisfaction, greater retention, and improved overall company ratings.

4. The Pandemic’s Influence on Mental Health:

The pandemic has further exacerbated mental health issues. With significant percentages of people reporting stress and anxiety symptoms, it’s clear that mental health support isn’t merely beneficial – it’s essential. The past few years have exposed weaknesses in our support systems and emphasized the need for comprehensive mental health resources.

The conversation with El-Ghoroury sheds light on the importance of prioritizing mental health in our workplaces. It’s clear that understanding and addressing mental health issues are not just moral imperatives but also key to fostering a productive, engaged, and loyal workforce.

As we move forward and adapt to our evolving work landscape, let’s ensure mental health is no longer an afterthought, but a central part of our dialogue about employee wellbeing and company culture.

Want a Summary of Part 1? Here is a rundown of what happened and some of the big takeaways that you could provide to your colleague if they asked, “what happened?” in the episode. [AI Disclosure: I used OpenAI’s ChatGPT to help me summarize.]:

1. KiKi L’Italien opens the discussion on the importance of addressing mental health wellness in associations and in the workplace. The focus is on understanding and creating a culture of employee wellbeing and tackling mental health within associations.
2. Nabil El-Ghoroury, a psychologist and principal at Executive Therapy and Consulting, discusses the stigma around mental health. He believes pejorative references and stigmas have hindered its recognition in the past.
3. El-Ghoroury highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic has brought mental health to the forefront due to social isolation and stress. He sees this as an opportunity to improve mental health practices in businesses.
4. Addressing mental health within his profession, El-Ghoroury shares his experiences as a psychologist and executive. He contrasts the younger generation’s openness about therapy and medication with the previous generation’s tendency to hide such issues.
5. According to a survey by the American Psychological Association, 80% of people are currently under significant stress, with 27% unable to function properly. Many respondents reported symptoms like insomnia, anxiety, and headaches.
6. El-Ghoroury emphasizes the link between a supportive workplace culture for mental health and talent retention. Businesses that prioritize employee well-being and provide support tend to retain employees better and receive higher ratings on platforms like Glassdoor.
7. The discussion concludes by highlighting the ROI of promoting mental health. Investing in mental health can improve employee retention, work culture, and the bottom line.

Watch the whole episode! 

Powerful Quotes from Nabil

“We are at a different point than where we were in March of 2020… the last two and a half years have been incredibly challenging and overwhelming to so many people.”– Nabil El-Ghoroury

“The stigma about mental health, we’re still getting over. What I do find really empowering is how the younger generation really is a lot more open about going to therapy, talking about being on medication.” – Nabil El-Ghoroury

“The pandemic has just made everything turn upside down. And it’s exposed the weaknesses, that we were able to move forward in the past… anxiety and stress and depression have gone up in the past.” – Nabil El-Ghoroury

“One of the biggest benefits of creating a culture that promotes mental health is retention… and recruitment as well.” – Nabil El-Ghoroury

“We know employees want employers to talk about mental health… a culture that supports employees, their mental health needs, and helping them through challenges, that does have a long-term payoff in retention.” – Nabil El-Ghoroury

More About Nabil

Nabil El-Ghoroury has over 13 years of nonprofit executive experience. He served as CEO of a $6 million association for 4 years. He is a licensed psychologist available for individual counseling in over 30 states via telehealth. (Those states include DC, MD, VA, IL, TX, and NJ.) Dr. El-Ghoroury has spoken on mental health topics like stress, burnout, impostor experience, and employee well-being for various organizations. He can be reached at http://www.executivetherapy.solutions and nabil@executivetherapy.solutions.

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