Ensuring your mental health and the well-being of employees is crucial for maintaining a consistent level of productivity and achieving organisational success. This article discusses the inherent connection between an employee’s mental health and well-being when they engage in further education and training.
In a prior research study conducted by Field (2011), the concept of well-being was perceived as a positive mental state, a perspective that psychologists have embraced. Rather than just dealing with mental issues and fixing the mental hiccups, psychologists focused on illuminating the good aspects associated with a positive mindset, like – staying healthy and being satisfied with life. Mental health and employee well-being are still big concerns in South Africa. It is a topic that is regarded as important, but faces an ongoing issue due to it not receiving the attention and the resources that it needs (Lund et al., 2010).
Employees who are empowered with further education and training have realised that this opportunity does not focus on merely earning more money or getting them better jobs. It further affects how they think and act which influences their overall mental health and well-being. Investing in opportunities like further education and training is seen as an investment into adult-learning. This investment results in employees who possess an enrichment in their mental health, happiness, and an overall well-being (Field, 2011).
Schuller (2017) talked about how the impact of adult learning is just not good for the brain, but how it positively affects both mental and physical health:
- Mental health: adult learning was found to bring about effective growth in terms of boosting an employee’s sense of who they are, empowering them to cope better and provided them with a strong sense of belonging and purpose. Despite the increase and positive changes in their mood, employees experience life from a different perspective which contributed to enhancing the efficiency of the public sector.
- Physical health: the effects of adult learning assisted in cases where employees reduced habits like; smoking and increased their exercise routines leading to positive lifestyle changes. This holistic approach increased the employees’ satisfaction of life and lowered the risk of heart disease and substance abuse.
Supporting education and training at work plays a big role in maintaining a healthy workforce and in promoting positive mental health and well-being. Earlier research highlighted how crucial it is to offer learning opportunities to employees. Offering such opportunities to employees who were younger than 35 years of age yielded personal growth, skill development, and resilience at handling challenges. On the other hand, employees over the age of 35 years experienced some rather tough times with their mental and physical health. They dealt with an increased level of anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and even thoughts of suicide. This took a toll on their productivity and overall quality of life. Research shows that workplace-supported education and training can make a big impact on boosting the life satisfaction of employees (Frimpong et al., 2023).
References
Field, J. (2011). Adult learning, health and well-being – changing lives. Adult learner, 13-25. Retrieved from http://www.aontas.com/download/pdf/adult_learner_2011.pdf
Frimpong, S., Wang, C.C., Boadu, E.F., & Sunindijo, R.Y. (2023). The role of education and training to achieve positive mental health among young construction workers from the global South. 39th Annual Conference and General Meeting (Constructing for the Future), (pp. 257-266). University of Leeds, Leeds, UK. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374061058_The_Role_of_Education_and_Training_to_Achieve_Positive_Mental_Health_among_Young_Construction_Workers_from_the_Global_South
Lund, C., Kleintjies, S., Kakuma, R., & Flisher, A.J. (2010, March). Public sector mental health systems in South Africa: Inter-provincial comparisons and policy implications. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol, 45(3), 393-404. doi:10.1007/s00127-009-0078-5
Schuller, T. (2017). What are the wider benefits of learning across the life course. Education Psychology. Retrieved from https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/id/eprint/29773
0 Comments