Paul Hendry CMIOSH tells us why the professional services firm, Jacobs, was driven to organise the world’s biggest mental health check-in.
More than 20,000 people around the world checked in online to use a free tool to help them understand their state of mind and offer strategies for mental health development during a campaign for World Mental Health Day on 10 October.
While the event became the biggest ever of its kind, the real goal for Jacobs, which organised the event, was to ‘break down barriers that hinder honest conversation about mental health and encourage an open culture of support,’ says Paul Hendry CMIOSH, Jacobs’ vice-president of health, safety and environment.
‘By completing a check-in, people will ideally be better equipped to understand how they are coping, assess the early indicators of associated mental health challenges, start positive and active conversations, and get support much earlier.’
Making mental health and wellbeing a priority is at the core of Jacobs’ One Million Lives campaign, of which the check-in formed a part. Senior leadership involvement is proving crucial in the success of the scheme. ‘Our chair and CEO Steve Demetriou is a trained positive mental health champion, along with all our executive leadership team. Once the top executive talks about it, it makes it easier for everyone else.’