We occasionally hear about people who are made redundant falling into the black hole of depression that at times leads to suicide. The media may treat such incidents as a news item and public opinion soon gets used to paying little attention to such sad events.

But mental health problems are a serious reality in many workplaces and the sooner employers understand the seriousness of this phenomenon, the sooner we may find ways to mitigate the social cost associated with it.

It is fallacious to think that only small businessman and low paid workers are prone to serious mental health problems when faced with a financial crisis.

Zurich Insurance former chief executive Martin Senn committed suicide six months after stepping down in December 2015 and three years after the group’s finance director also killed himself.

Senn was 59 and as far as is known he was not substance dependant. The Financial Times reported that Senn “had recently shown signs of depression and had increasing difficulties adjusting to life” after his chief executive post with Zurich Insurance.

Depression and anxiety are the most common mental health illnesses. Adults of all ages and status are prone to these ubiquitous illnesses that drain the energy of victims and their families.

The condition is often made worse by substance abuse, especially alcohol.

Depression is one of the most common causes of absence from work and the costs to industry are substantial. Some employers offer support by paying for counselling that is often offered in a very discreet way.

There are many other mental health issues that affect the performance of all kind of workers, including high flying executives.

Regulators should be left to do their work without resorting to sensational skulduggery that can damage the lives of so many people

Borderline personality disorder is a little known mental problem that often goes undiagnosed and can therefore cause much more damage in a workplace because the victim of such a disorder can seem quite a normal person most of the time, but a real menace to the wellbeing of his colleagues when his condition goes out of control.

Employers need to train their managers and supervisors to understand the signs of mental disorders in the workers they are responsible for. I know of no management courses that offer such training in a significant way.

With economic pressures increasing on more businesses, a person’s genetic predisposition to mental health problems can easily erupt into a major health and safety issue in the workplace, not just for victims of such a conditions but also for their colleagues.

One of the pressures that business leaders face is the hounding by sections of the media that resort to acting like prosecutors, judges and juries of anything they perceive to be against what they consider as good business conduct. Watchdogs have an important function but when they start biting anyone who comes into their line of sight it is time that they are re-trained to do their work properly.

Most important business functions are today regulated and regulators should be left to do their work without resorting to sensational skulduggery that can damage the lives of so many people.

Family life is often another trigger of mental health disorders.

Striking the right balance between work and home life will always be difficult. Many workers carry their family problems to the workplace while others relive their work problems in the home. This is when experienced managers come into the picture.

It is becoming increasingly common to see younger people being appointed as managers.

Hopefully, this is not a symptom of ageism where anyone over 50 is considered as ‘past it’ and therefore needs to be replaced by a younger person.

To manage people effectively one needs an abundance of emotional intelligence which is accumulated over years of life experiences. Many argue that older managers often have more empathy for workers who are facing mental health challenges.

While every business ultimately exists to make profits, it is important that workplaces encourage a human environment where workers feel that they are valued – especially when they face tough circumstances in their lives.

Mental health issues still carry a painful stigma that prevents many from discussing this issue openly.

Voluntary organisations are helping to change this. Business leaders need to understand that at some time or another as many as 10 per cent of their workforce may be suffering from permanent of temporary mental health impairment.

It, therefore, makes sense to have a clear strategy on how to deal with this issue effectively.

johncassaarwhite@yahoo.com