23 February

City leaders gather to discuss mental health and long-term physical conditions in the workplace

The Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman Michael Mainelli and The Lord Mayor’s Appeal hosted an event at Mansion House this week, where City leaders explored the intersection of mental health challenges and long-term physical conditions in the workplace. Part of our This is Me programme, dedicated to reducing stigma around mental health in professional settings, the breakfast aimed to garner organisational support for creating happier and healthier workplaces.  

Event Chair, Richard Martin, Principal Consultant at byrne.dean, Executive Officer at Mindful Business Charter and Chair of This is Me Central Steering Group, set out the morning’s agenda - to explore the link between physical and mental health from two perspectives: the positive impact practicing physical activity can have on mental health and the negative impactive long-term physical health conditions can have on mental health.

He noted that This is Me has, since its inception, has ‘taken a hammer’ to the stigma of mental health in the workplace via corporate storytelling, the Green Ribbon campaign and Wellbeing in the Workplace in partnership with The Samaritans. 

The Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman Michael Mainelli then welcomed guests to Mansion House. He reminded City businesses that mental health problems cost the UK economy at least £117.9 billion annually according to The Mental Health Foundation and the London School of Economics. He noted that This is Me has, since its inception, has ‘taken a hammer’ to the stigma of mental health in the workplace via corporate storytelling, the Green Ribbon campaign and Wellbeing in the Workplace in partnership with The Samaritans. 

He ended his speech with a quote by ‘one of the great storytellers of The City’ Charles Dickens, emphasising the importance for corporations across the Square Mile to prioritise wellbeing initiatives in light of evolving workforce dynamics and ‘lighten the load’ of colleagues suffering with mental health issues.    

Helen McNicholas, Senior Partnerships Manager at MQ Mental Health Research, the UK’s leading mental health research charity and The Lord Mayor’s Appeal charity partner, shared the latest research findings underpinning the link between mental and physical wellbeing. She highlighted that people with diabetes are 2-3 times more likely to have depression while those with cardiovascular disease are at a 53% higher risk of having a serious mental illness.

People with diabetes are 2-3 times more likely to have depression while those with cardiovascular disease are at a 53% higher risk of having a serious mental illness

Bringing it into context for The City, she highlighted how much this relates to current statistics around mental health in the workplace - with 1 in 4 UK employees in risk of burnout and 20% of workers taking time of work due to poor mental health caused by stress. The Lord Mayor’s Appeal is in its second year of a three-year partnership with MQ Mental Health Research, helping them to support their vision to create a world where mental illnesses are understood, effectively treated, and eventually prevented.

With a key part of This is Me focusing on senior leader buy in, the panel discussion invited industry experts Claire Harvey, Global Inclusion and Engagement Lead at TP ICAP, Melissa De Haldevang, Counsellor at Hogan Lovells, Matt Dean, Co-Founder, Director, and Interim Chief Executive at byrne.dean to discuss the importance of supportive workspaces and the advantages of accommodating the complex needs of all employees.

Moderated by Bethan Aspland, This is Me Program Manager – the discussion included the panel’s personal accounts of living and working with long-term physical health conditions, the impact on their mental health and how inclusive work environments made all the difference.

“This morning has been extremely interesting. To hear people speak openly about their mental health journeys, the prospect of being understood in the workplace and how to cope with it, made me reflect on my own mental health and how I deal with stress.”

Once guests had been prompted to get up and move around in the break, a round-table discussions invited attendees to exchange perspectives and strategies. Asking which internal strategies had been most effective in their own organisations and best practice to engage company-wide buy in on wellbeing, the conversations proved enlightening to many.

Tangy Morgan, Independent Senior Advisor to Bank of England and The Lord Mayor’s Appeal Trustee said; “This morning has been extremely interesting. To hear people speak openly about their mental health journeys, the prospect of being understood in the workplace and how to cope with it, made me reflect on my own mental health and how I deal with stress.”

Event Chair, Richard Martin concluded the morning by reminding guests to look out for upcoming This is Me events in 2024. These include two free-to-attend webinars taking place in the spring: Mental Health Awareness Week Planning on 20 March and Workplace Wellbeing: Embracing Neurodiversity on 21 March.

In 2023, The Lord Mayor’s Appeal This is Me programme continued in its commitment to changing attitudes around mental health and striving to create healthier and more inclusive workplaces by reducing stigma, dispelling myths and improving employee wellbeing for good. Last year 73% of organisations in The City said that after taking part in This is Me activities employees speak more freely about mental health at work; while 82% of businesses reported senior level buy in around the need to support mental health.

Find out more about This is Me here