HomeBlogNewsIABC APAC supports Mentally-Healthy to improve mental health in our industry

IABC APAC supports Mentally-Healthy to improve mental health in our industry

  • March 18, 2020
  • Posted by: Rauf Hameed
  • Category: News, Uncategorized
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IABC APAC is now one of over 70 organisations in the Asia Pacific region signed the Mentally-Healthy Minimum Standards to help smash the stigma around mental health in our work places. The minimum standards have been developed by the Mentally-Healthy Change Group to improve mental health in the workplace in the broader media, marketing, communications and creative industries.

“Our industry is struggling with mental health. A 2018 Australian study showed that 55% of our industry are showing mild to severe signs of anxiety and depression, which is significantly higher than the national average. That’s alarming and this initiative is proactively putting the mental health of our people on the agenda” said Zora Artis, Chair of IABC APAC.

This study showed that although the industry is relatively literate about mental health and supportive about working with someone with mental health issues, only a third would tell anyone they had been diagnosed with depression. That perceived stigma that one with mental health would be treated poorly increased with age. 

The Mentally-Healthy Change Group founded in 2019 is driven by a passionate group of industry volunteers and backed by UnLtd, Never Not Creative, and Energx. They’ve launched a fantastic website mentally-healthy.org that houses lots of free resources to support the industry.

The minimum standards are a set of guidelines for organizations to live by: A set of guidelines that the Mentally Healthy Change Group believes any organization should be able to sign up for. There are 10 standards – some were sourced straight from legislation and others were tested with leaders and business owners in our industry. By adopting the minimum standards we’re hoping to open up the conversation about mental health and help create a safe and healthy environment for everyone.

We invite you to take a look at mentally-healthy.org. Read the research findings, use the resources, adopt the minimum standards and encourage others to do so.