New tools for a new normal: navigating mental health in online spaces

Online platforms have found their way into almost every aspect of how we live, learn, work and play. On one hand, our social media feeds are regularly serving up the latest articles on how the omnipresence of technology is affecting the mental health of a generation of young people. ⁶ On the other hand, the introduction of internet-based mental health supports are allowing those who gravitate towards digital communication, or whose geographical location limits access to in-person health services, to access care in new ways.⁷ Tips and tools to help tilt the balance towards positive online experiences are out there. ⁸ Are more needed?

• Results from the CAMH student survey noted in the previous section demonstrate that in 2015:

  • The majority (86 per cent) of post-secondary students reported visiting social media sites daily. About one in six (16 per cent) students spent five hours or more on social media daily, representing a significant increase since 2013 (11 per cent). ⁹

  • One in 10 (10 per cent) played video games for five hours or more per day in 2015, and one in eight (13 per cent) reported symptoms of a video game problem. ¹⁰

• The World Health Organization (WHO) has said it will include “gaming disorder” in a June update to its International Classification of Diseases (ICD). The disorder will be defined as a pattern of behaviour “characterized by impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other interests and daily activities, and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences.” ¹¹

• Youth are not alone in the steady increase in their use of technology. Nearly all Canadians under the age of 45 use the internet every day and usage remains strong for those aged 45 and above. ¹²

• As part of the evolving dialogue around the growing number of hours we spend online, there are some pointing the potential value of online spaces as offering opportunities to speak more openly about mental illness.¹³

  • One in 10 Canadians across age ranges (and one-quarter of millennials) reported posting things online when they are experiencing difficulties, meaning that “scraping the internet” to help identify people who might be at risk for their mental health and offering assistance has potential, ¹⁴ a tool some social media sites are starting to roll out ¹⁵

The rule not the exception: supporting workplace mental health

Many adults spend the majority of their days in the workplace making these spaces critical opportunities for mental health promotion and for connecting those who need them to appropriate supports. Normalizing and formalizing initiatives not only improves the social and economic outcomes of employees and employers, it can contribute to the overall reduction of stigma in our society, promoting a greater understanding of the reality that there is no health without mental health.

• The importance of workplace mental health has seized many in recent years due to growing evidence of the social and economic impacts from failing to address it, both for those who are employed and those who face barriers to employment as a result of their lived experience of mental illness. ¹⁶

• Morneau Shepell carries out annual national mental health surveys of employees and employers. Results reveal that:

  • A large majority of workplace absences taken due to mental health reasons are not officially reported - 66 per cent of those who took time off for a mental health issue in 2016 did so unofficially. ¹⁷

  • More than half (54 per cent) of employees who have had a mental health absence have specific suggestions regarding what the workplace could have done to prevent their absence. This is twice the rate of employees who have had a physical health disability leave. ¹⁸

  • Employees and employers agree that the most important factor for a workplace mental health strategy is have a manager know what to do when an employee shows signs of distress. For employees, the second most important factor for a workplace mental health strategy is improving the overall work culture.¹⁹

• The changing nature of work and social relationships must be kept top of mind in efforts to support mentally healthy work environments. For example, Morneau Shepell’s 2018 survey focused on stress revealed that both personal and workplace stress are on the rise:

  • Factors including workload and long hours, co-workers and job responsibilities were cited as the greatest contributors to workplace stress. ²⁰

  • Female employees were more likely to report being under higher levels of workplace stress than their male counterparts. ²¹

  • On a personal level, both employees and managers cited financial issues, aging parents and feelings of isolation as the main sources of stress. ²²

• The Mental Health Commission of Canada’s National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace is a set of voluntary guidelines, tools and resources intended to guide organizations in promoting mental health and preventing psychological harm at work.

  • A case study of 40 Canadian organizations sharing their journeys in implementing the National Standard revealed that the top three actions they took to improve employee psychological health and safety were implementing respectful workplace policies and educating employees (78 per cent), providing employee assistance programs and other services addressing mental health (70 per cent), and enhancing mental health knowledge and awareness among employees (66 per cent). ²³

CONCLUSION

There is a growing understanding of the value of investing in the creation of more mentally healthy spaces. As more and more of us embrace the need for concerted action, expanding our collective knowledge of best practices and positive experiences will become ever more important. Leadership at all levels, the development of new skills, and normalizing and formalizing initiatives are three valuable lessons to keep in mind as we each do our part to create more mentally healthy spaces where we live, learn, work and play. Moving forward, what next steps can we take and conversations can we have to promote mental health and connect those who need help with appropriate supports in our schools, online and in our workplaces? Also, be sure to read our final paper on Innovation!