Guest Blogger — Damian Salas
I first heard person-centered care as a junior Human Resources staffer for a large mental health company. It was 1990, and the industry was decades in a transformation that began in the 1940’s. This period represents a revolutionary time in Psychology from diagnosis-focused approaches to more individualized treatment that is still leading the industry today.
Similarly, the integration of evidence-informed practices into person-centered care is today revolutionizing workplace mental health strategies. This approach not only respects individual employee needs and preferences but also bases interventions on solid research evidence to maximize effectiveness.
Prevalence of Mental Health in the Workplace
Safe and healthy working environments are essential not only because they are a basic right, but also because they help reduce workplace tension and conflicts, enhancing staff retention, performance, and productivity. Inadequate support and structures at work, particularly in fact for individuals with mental health conditions, can hinder job enjoyment and performance.
Here are some facts:
- In a 2022 report by Mental Health America, 81% of workers reported that workplace stress affected their mental health, compared to 78% of respondents in 2021.
- In 2023, the American Psychological Association found 92% of workers saying it is very important to them to work for an organization that values their emotional and psychological well-being.
- Anxiety has skyrocketed in recent years, now becoming the top mental health issue plaguing workers, new data from SHRM shows.
- A total of 87% of American adults agreed that having a mental health disorder is nothing to be ashamed of, and 86% said they believe that people with mental health disorders can get better, according to the APA.
Organizational Outcomes vs Person-Centered Outcomes
Industrial Psychology aims to understand and improve the performance, satisfaction, and safety of employees. Executive Coaches use methods like psychometric testing, employee surveys, and observational assessments to study workplace dynamics.
The outcomes and interventions in Industrial Psychology may include developing training programs, implementing better recruitment strategies, enhancing work-life balance, and crafting organizational policies that improve productivity and employee satisfaction.
In contrast, Clinical Psychology deals with the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders. It focuses on reducing psychological distress and enhancing and promoting psychological well-being in individuals.
Clinical Psychology employs various assessment tools to diagnose mental health issues, including structured interviews, psychological tests, and observation. Interventions often involve evidence-informed therapeutic techniques such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), psychoanalysis, and other forms of counseling and psychotherapy.
In the context of workplace mental health, evidence-informed person-centered care means treating employees as unique individuals with specific mental health needs rather than just workers in a role. This approach ensures that mental health strategies are tailored to fit the unique circumstances and preferences of each employee, rather than implementing one-size-fits-all solutions.
What is Evidence-Informed Person-Centered Care?
Evidence-informed person-centered care combines individual needs, values, and personal health background with evidence-informed practice, which involves making decisions based on the best available information from research, workplace data, and professional expertise. This synthesis ensures that the interventions are not only tailored to individual employees but are also backed by proven outcomes.
The benefits of implementing evidence-informed person-centered care in the workplace extend across various dimensions, significantly enhancing both individual and organizational health.
Here’s a deeper look at some advantages:
- Enhanced Personalization of Care
Evidence-informed person-centered care tailors mental health interventions to the specific circumstances of each employee, which increases the likelihood of positive outcomes. By integrating empirical research with personal health information, organizations can develop targeted approaches that effectively address the unique mental health needs of their workforce.
Key Benefit: Employees receive care that is highly relevant and responsive to their individual situations, leading to increased efficacy of mental health programs.
- Improved Mental Health Outcomes
Utilizing interventions that are both person-centered and evidence-based has been shown to improve mental health outcomes. These practices are grounded in scientifically validated methods that have been proven to reduce symptoms of common workplace issues like stress, anxiety, and depression.
Key Benefit: Better mental health outcomes lead to a healthier, more resilient workforce, which is crucial for maintaining high levels of productivity and engagement.
- Increased Employee Satisfaction and Retention
When employees feel that their specific needs are considered and respected, they are more likely to be satisfied with their workplace. This personalized attention helps in building trust and loyalty, which are important factors in employee retention.
Key Benefit: Lower turnover rates and higher employee morale, which contribute to a stable and motivated workforce.
- Strengthened Legal and Ethical Compliance
Implementing evidence-informed practices helps ensure that mental health interventions are not only effective but also meet current legal and ethical standards.
Key Benefit: Reduced legal risks and enhanced compliance with workplace health and safety regulations, protecting both the employee and the organization.
- Cost Efficiency
Effective mental health care reduces absenteeism, lowers turnover rates, and decreases the use of healthcare benefits.
Key Benefit: Long-term cost savings for the organization, making it a financially sustainable approach to employee health.
- Promotes a Culture of Health and Well-being
Implementing evidence-informed PCC can contribute to a workplace culture that prioritizes well-being and supports mental health. This cultural shift can enhance overall organizational performance and make the company more attractive to prospective employees.
Key Benefit: A strong culture of health attracts top talent and improves the overall market position of the company.
- Scalability and Adaptability
Although personalized, the foundational elements of evidence-informed PCC can be scaled and adapted across different teams and departments within an organization. This scalability ensures that all employees benefit from best practices in mental health care.
Key Benefit: A cohesive and uniform approach to mental health across the organization, while still allowing for individual tailoring.
Conclusion
We are at another revolutionary time in Psychology and workplace mental health. The benefits of evidence-informed person-centered care in the workplace are extensive and multifaceted. Today, organizations can not only enhance the well-being of their employees but also improve their operational effectiveness and foster a more supportive, engaging work environment. This strategic investment in employee mental health is key to building a resilient workforce where everyone can thrive.
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Damian Salas is Co-Founder of GREW and Clinical Professor of Entrepreneurship at Drexel University. He is the past Director of Organizational Development at Horizon House Inc, and was Founding Chair of the Philadelphia Alliance Workforce Domain.