One in four (28 per cent) Canadian men fear their job could be at risk if they discussed their mental health at work, according to new research by Movember Canada.
The survey, which polled 1,000 Canadian men aged between 18 and 75, also found a third of respondents said they’d be reluctant to open up about their problems in case it had a negative impact on their career. As well, 42 per cent said they’d be worried about colleagues making negative comments behind their backs if they discussed mental-health issues at work.
Read: Mindful benefits plan design should consider mental health
A further 33 per cent of survey respondents thought they could be held back from a promotion if they mentioned a problem they were finding difficult to cope with. And just over half (54 per cent) said they’d be able to take time off work if they were struggling with their mental health or other personal issues.
“Although we’ve made great progress in starting to talk openly about how we are feeling, there are many men worried that a personal mental-health challenge might be revealed, especially in the workplace,” said Brendan Maher, Movember’s global mental health and suicide prevention director, in a press release.
Read: Five tips for successful workplace mental-health training