The same old story: A tortured artist and creative genius struggles with their metaphorical demons and can not relate to life in the same way as most people. Luckily, today we know that the majority of this can be linked to mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and many others. We have many modern stories, plenty of information, and studies that confirm the popular belief in the link between creativity and mental illness. A recent study suggests that creative professionals may be more genetically wired to mental illness. In the web industry, no matter your title, we are often creative individuals both inside and outside the workplace. The numbers suggest that mental illness hits the web industry especially hard. Although our industry has made great strides to show compassion and discuss mental health issues, the understanding and acceptance of this is an area that still needs growth and attention. When it comes to mental health issues, we aren’t as understanding as we think we are. According to several studies, over half of the general population believes that society is caring and sympathetic towards individuals with mental illness. However, only 25% of individuals with mental health issues have the same belief. Lack of sympathy and compassion towards those with mental health issues is not done purposefully or personally by any means. It has more to do with the fact that individuals without mental health issues don’t have a true grasp of the reality and struggle of mental illnesses within the workplace. There are many risk factors for mental health that may be present within the working environment. Most of these risks relate to direct interactions between the type of work, the organizational and managerial environment, the skills and competence of employees, and support available for employees to carry out work. Risks include:

• Inadequate health and safety policies
• Poor communication and management practices
• Limited participation in decision-making
• Low control over one’s area of work
• Low levels of support for employees
• Inflexible hours
• Unclear tasks and organizational objectives

Mental health, specifically within the work environment, is something that should be taken seriously by those with mental health issues and those without. No matter your problems or the cause, yourself should always be your top priority. Work with Red Shark Digital to help end the stigma and accept the fact that a mental health day and not always feeling your best self is okay.