The Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Care Services Minister Paul Burstow have called on employers to take action to improve the mental health of their staff, and issued a call to everyone in society to play their part in reducing the stigma surrounding mental illness.

Rick Hughes, BACP's Lead Advisor: Workplace, said:

"This is a welcome initiative, which will assist employers in supporting workers, and provide valuable advice and guidance on working with people with mental health difficulties, as well as encouraging a reduction in the stigma attached to mental illness in the workplace.

A recent BACP survey found that over half of people would like their employer to offer a confidential counselling or psychotherapy service. Evidence shows that counselling is a cost-effective way of treating a wide range of mental health problems and can contribute significantly to an employer's duty of care responsibilities. Workplace counselling is cost-beneficial in its contribution to psychological health and well-being.

Moving forward, we hope to see the Government encouraging employers to implement dedicated counselling services in their workplaces (by employing counsellors directly or investing in employee assistance programmes), and in doing so make a valuable investment to ensure that staff are kept in work, off benefits and able to make a valuable contribution to their workplace."

Notes

Full details of the Deputy Prime Minister's statement can be found on the Department of Health website here: http://tinyurl.com/cf52mfq.

For further information, please contact Ruth Clowes, Media and Communications Officer for BACP, on ruth.clowes@bacp.co.uk or 01455 883 342.