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Monitoring, talking about mental health in the workplace during COVID-19

Mental Illness Awareness Week is October 4-10, 2020— it's designed to raise awareness about mental health issues, which experts say is important in the workplace.

BANGOR, Maine — The first full week of October every year is Mental Illness Awareness Week—and this year, that mission to educate and raise awareness about mental health issues is perhaps more important than ever. 

The coronavirus pandemic has been taking a toll on the physical and mental wellbeing of people around the world. In Maine, it's been almost seven months since COVID-19 interrupted life and brought with it a "new normal." One constant for most people, though, has been the stress of work—whether in-person or remote—especially during a pandemic. 

Experts say a lot of working adults have concerns right now about keeping their jobs, potential layoffs and furloughs, and general anxiety about being in the workplace if they've returned to an in-person format—like masking fatigue and social distancing adjustments. 

Working from home can also result in isolation and loneliness, and with no clear timeline in sight, that stress continues. For working parents, those issues are exacerbated by concerns about their children's education and safety. 

RELATED: Westbrook police say there's been an increase in mental health calls

Angela Fileccia is a licensed clinical social worker and is also the manager of Northern Light Acadia Hospital's Healthy Life Resources program. She says conversations between employees and employers can be uncomfortable for both parties, but they're important to have as soon as an employee starts experiencing issues. 

Feliccia explains employees tend to want to be professional and not bring up issues, but if they don't, it could result in poor work performance, calling out a lot, and feeling on the verge of quitting. Most of us have never lived through a pandemic like this, which is why it's important to take deteriorating mental health seriously.

"None of us have lived through a pandemic before," Fileccia told NEWS CENTER Maine. "We can’t sort of ask our wise mom or grandmother or grandfather, 'Hey, you know—what do I do when I have to work and get my kid off to school?' We don’t really have family or friends to sort of lean on and get that perspective of people who have been there before."

RELATED: Out of Darkness: raising awareness in Maine about suicide prevention

Fileccia says that turnover in employees can be very costly to companies, which is why being proactive is important, helping to retain good workers and making sure workplace performance is enhanced. In order to do that, Fileccia recommends comparing mental health issues with physical ones.

"If I maybe have a little bit of a rash, for example, I might want to take some cream and put that on the rash to make sure it doesn’t spread. Mental health can be really similar to that," Fileccia said. "If I feel like I’ve got a little something going on, as soon as I can talk to a professional, get that treated—it can prevent that from really spreading to something bigger that might just take over."

RELATED: Suicide prevention awareness during COVID-19's toll on mental health

Fileccia says employees should consider not just using PTO or sick time for physical health issues, but also for mental health ones. 

If you are struggling, Fileccia suggests talking to your employer about getting connected with your team's Human Resources department. She says most employers have an Employees Assistance Program, and most mental health providers in Maine offer telehealth options. 

You can also visit the ICU ("I see you") model, developed by DuPont, that Fileccia says Northern Light Acadia Hospital uses to help identify, connect, and find a path forward. 

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