The silent strugglers | Why HR must build a culture where people can speak up about mental health

This week saw the holding of the annual World Suicide Prevention Day and, as such, there has been a lot of talk about spotting the signs of mental ill health and suicidal ideation at work.

For example, HR leaders have been encouraged to train managers to look out for changes in behaviour, withdrawal from colleagues, or dips in performance. All of that has value.

But there’s an uncomfortable truth that the signs of struggle will not always be there.

Many people suffer in silence. Some of those most at risk may also be the people who outwardly appear positive, engaged and even high-performing. It is a mistake to assume that poor mental health is always visible, or that it can be neatly spotted if managers just know what to look for.