We often feel badly equipped to respond to individuals who are stressed and/or showing signs of mental ill-health.
It can be hard to start a conversation with someone about their emotional wellbeing, in particular a colleague.
Talk to them
However, if you are worried about a colleague or a client and have observed some negative changes in their behaviour over a few days or weeks, it may be time to approach this person. Don’t just ignore it.
Depending on the person (and the context), this may be a simple discussion or it could be more complex. Remember that you don't have to be an expert on mental health to offer support and signposting. Supporting someone you work with involves:
- knowing the signs and symptoms of mental ill-health,
- learning how to communicate with them,
- learning how to offer and provide initial help, and
- learning how to guide them towards appropriate treatments and other supportive help.
There are courses available to help you learn more - you might consider attending a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training within or outside your organisation.
Attend a workshop
A range of workshops can equip you to identify and support people who may be experiencing mental health issues or at risk of suicide.
Gazette article
Consult your manager or HR
If you don’t feel comfortable talking to your colleague, perhaps your manager or a HR colleague could start a conversation with them instead.
Useful links
Links to other websites
The material contained on this website is provided for general information purposes only and does not constitute care, treatment or other professional advice. Links to other websites do not constitute an endorsement of that website by the Law Society of Ireland and the Society is not responsible for the contents of any websites referred to from this website.