Mental health influences one's ability to work productively and cope with the stresses of daily living. A healthy psychological state, the less observable inner world of your employees, is central to performance for a knowledge worker. Healthy employees are vital to the success of your firm, and their mental health cannot be ignored in the pursuit of goals. It's imperative that we learn how to tend to our state of mind. As we do, we will see an increasingly positive effect on job performance and firm success.
The following PCPS resources for self and firm are provided in PowerPoint format. While firms can download and customize these items for presentation purposes, also consider printing or posting on internal sites specific slides that will help to create a firm culture dedicated to mental well-being.
Resources for firm
A business imperative
Recognize the prevalence of mental health conditions and understand how these conditions relate to the workplace. Additionally, understand the business case for mental wellness and how mental health can affect the bottom line.
Recognizing signs in others and intervening with compassion and respect
Understand how mental health conditions may show up in colleagues at work. Additionally, learn the role and requirement of firms around mental health and how both managers and staff can intervene with compassion and respect.
Resources for self
You are not alone – the prevalence of mental health conditions
As we talk more openly about our own mental health, we begin to see that no one is exempt from experiencing periods of challenge over the course of their career and lifetime. Destigmatize mental conditions by understanding their prevalence and learn the wide range of conditions categorized under mental illness.
Recognizing signs in self and when to seek professional help
Understand the signs and severity of your own mental health conditions and determine if you should seek professional assistance.
How to select the appropriate support professional
Seeking support is not a sign of failure or weakness; it is a proactive measure and an indication you are committed to becoming your best self. Understand the requirements of firm management and HR and learn the differences in a therapist and coach.
Other tools and resources
Webcast | Mental health: A business imperative
This PCPS webcast provides practical strategies and ready-to-use tools to incorporate mental health initiatives into your firm and improve job performance and firm success.
Conference Session | Mental health: The state of mind and the bottom line
This session from AICPA's Women's Global Leadership Summit identifies how personal development initiatives increase business performance. Additionally, it helps listeners recognize the common signs of stress and angst in one's self and in another and describes how to effectively intervene and best manage employees who are experiencing mental health challenges.
Conference Session | Mental health: How your inner world influences your performance
This session from AICPA's We're About Success event helps listeners learn the importance of their own mental health, signs they may have a problem and ways to get help.
Podcast | Mental health matters: How asking the right questions can help
This Journal of Accountancy podcast explains why mental health matters and shares advice on how managers and firms can better promote mental health within their organizations.
Podcast | Signs you or a colleague could use mental health support
This Journal of Accountancy podcast discusses signs indicating someone may need to consider speaking with a mental health professional, provides advice on finding a mental health professional, and suggests ways employers can foster staff well-being.
Related reading
Five steps toward a more caring, compassionate mental health culture (5/2022)
This PCPS Practicing CPA article helps firms create a compassionate, caring workplace that supports those struggling and helps them get the assistance they need with confidence and dignity.Creating a culture that promotes employee well-being (5/2022)
This PCPS Small Firm Solutions article provides tips to remove unnecessary pressures on staff and create a culture focused on mental well-being.Focusing on mental wellness (12/2021)
This PCPS Small Firm Solutions article discusses ways that firms can improve staff wellbeing and mental health.How mentally healthy is your firm? (11/2021)
This PCPS Practicing CPA article provides tips on how firms can use communication and transparency to strengthen mental health.How CPAs and employers can support mental health(11/2021)
This featured Journal of Accountancy article describes how the pandemic requires colleagues and management to respond to mental health conditions with empathy and care.Protecting your team’s mental health (12/2020)
This PCPS Small Firm Solutions article discusses the importance of mental wellbeing and gives tips on protecting mental health.Ushering mental health into the workplace (11/2020)
This PCPS Practicing CPA article provides action steps for firms to support mental health in the pandemic.Returning to work: Prioritizing mental health (9/2020)
This Journal of Accountancy article outlines tips for creating an environment of psychological wellbeing while continuing to meet business outcomes.Take care of your staff’s mental health during COVID-19 (6/2020)
This Journal of Accountancy article provides ideas for organizations to promote CPAs’ mental health during the pandemic.Depression and the CPA (2/2020)
This featured Journal of Accountancy article describes one professional’s story about the help he received to overcome challenges associated with mental illness.