Mental health among racialized people in the workplace: issues and perspectives
We already know that we’re not all equal when it comes to managing our mental health. But did you know that racialized populations are more likely to suffer from mental health issues than the rest of the population?
In recent years, the number of people experiencing psychological distress has continued to rise. The health crisis has particularly affected the most fragile populations. We’re talking here about people who are racialized, disabled, in financial difficulty and others. The result? A renewed debate on the management of mental health. The issue is also being raised in the workplace, where the figures are increasingly alarming. How should mental health be addressed in the workplace? What is the employer’s role? What are the challenges? What are the solutions to this scourge? Here’s how.
Mental health facts and figures
According to the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, some 22% of employees are experiencing burnout. This figure has been rising steadily, particularly since the pandemic. These observations are the result of a sharply rising absenteeism rate. In fact, more than half of long-term absences are directly linked to mental health. Paradoxically, we are faced with an inconsistency. The majority of employers in Quebec are prepared to support people with mental health problems. Yet, as Estelle Morin, occupational psychologist and professor at HEC Montréal, explains, employees, for their part, feel that they are not sufficiently supported in the management of their mental health by their employer, notably through a lack of accommodations (telecommuting or working in hybrid mode).
Burnout can be linked to a number of factors: working hours, sometimes dangerous working conditions, excessive workload and pace, violence, harassment, bullying, discrimination and exclusion, as highlighted by the World Health Organization (WHO). The way employers feel also has an impact on the working environment. The more fulfilled employers are (notably through good company management), the more positive the impact. “For almost 70% of workers, their immediate boss has more positive impact on their mental health than their doctor (51%) or therapist (41%) – it’s even equal to that of their life partner (69%).” Otherwise, the effects are negative for both employer and employee.
Racialized employees are particularly affected‧es by mental health issues
According to the latest observations, the racialized population, and in particular the black population, is particularly affected. They are 6 times more likely to suffer from mental health issues than the rest of the population. These include “depression, anxiety, eating disorders and substance addiction”.
Why do racialized populations seem more affected?
Racism at the heart of the problem
The reasons are many and important to understand, as the Public Health Agency of Canada points out in a report published in 2022.
First and foremost, racism remains the cornerstone in explaining this situation. Indeed, in our predominantly white North American (and one might even say global) society, racism is unfortunately alive and well. Being a victim of racism causes “race-based traumatic stress”. This has an impact on mental health (stress, anxiety, depression) and physical health (development of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, etc.).
Racism manifests itself in microaggressions. This is everyday racism, expressed through humiliating remarks directed at racialized people. They may be expressed consciously or unconsciously. These micro-aggressions can take many forms: verbal or non-verbal remarks, insensitivity, invisibilization or invalidation of the reality of racialized people.
In the workplace, racism can take many forms. Here are a few examples.
- the perception (on the part of the employer) that the racialized employee has fewer qualifications than their white colleagues such as frequent questioning of the racialized employee’s skills or even more frequent monitoring of performance compared to non-racialized colleagues,
- by exclusion in certain networking activities or even the withholding of certain information to expand one’s networking or enable career advancement,
- microaggressions such as questionable sexual jokes, comments on accent or constant reminders of the racialized person’s origins;
- hair discrimination, particularly for black women, who are forbidden to wear braids or afros within the company, as they do not reflect a “professional” image.
Mental health, a taboo for many communities
Mental health is also a taboo within racialized communities (beliefs, stereotypes, etc.).
We don’t perceive mental health in the same way, depending on who we are and what we’ve experienced.
The pandemic has made it possible to speak out and has helped demystify mental health for many people. For many others, however, it remains a difficult subject. Due to complex and multiple reasons rooted in colonialism, racialized people experience stigmatization in relation to mental health.
Finally, when it comes to accessing healthcare services, the lack of representativeness among healthcare staff (lack of diversity and inclusion), contributes to the feeling of being alone when faced with a majority ethno-cultural group that is different and doesn’t understand the realities experienced by racialized people. Imagine a queer black person who would like to be accompanied by a psychologist who understands the issues involved. It’s a safe bet that this health professional will be hard to find. Representativeness is important, especially when it comes to well-being.
But in the face of these challenges, there are solutions to overcome this reality and provide better support for racialized people. More inclusive leadership and the existence of startups seem to be the answer to the problems associated with managing the mental health of employees, particularly those from racialized communities. We’ll tell you all about it in the next article.
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Article written by Michelle Martineau, external consultant specializing in DEI issues
