Last week, we talked about the psychological toll of global catastrophes, the widespread impact of vicarious trauma, and the reality that your employees are carrying the weight of world events into your workplace every single day.
But understanding the problem, whilst essential, isn't enough. The question that keeps coming up is: what can we actually do about it?
This year's World Mental Health Day theme emphasises not just the mental health challenges during catastrophes and emergencies, but crucially, access to services. Because the gap between needing support and actually receiving it remains one of the most significant barriers to workplace mental health.
So let's talk about solutions. Real, practical, implementable approaches that you can take to bridge this access gap and create meaningful support when your teams need it most.
Why Traditional Approaches Fall Short
Before we dive into solutions, it's worth understanding why the current system often fails during times of crisis.
Traditional mental health services – whether NHS provision, Employee Assistance Programmes, or private therapy – typically operate on a model designed for stable times. They assume people can wait weeks for appointments, that crises are individual rather than collective, and that the main barrier to access is simply knowing where to find help.
But during global catastrophes and emergencies, these assumptions break down:
- Demand surges overwhelm existing capacity – when entire populations are affected simultaneously, appointment waiting times become impossible to manage
- People don't recognise their symptoms as "serious enough" – employees experiencing vicarious trauma or compassion fatigue often don't realise they need support until they're in crisis
- Cultural and language barriers intensify – particularly for employees from affected communities who may not feel comfortable accessing mainstream services
- The stigma multiplies – when everyone's struggling, there's often a sense that "others have it worse", which prevents people from seeking help
- Traditional therapy models don't always fit – one-to-one counselling, whilst valuable, can't address the collective nature of trauma from global events
This doesn't mean traditional services aren't vital – they absolutely are. But it does mean we need to think more creatively about how we create accessible and appropriate support during extraordinary times.
Building a Multi-Layered Approach to Access
The most effective organisations recognise that improving access to mental health services during emergencies requires multiple layers of support, not a single solution. Think of it as creating a scaffold of care that meets people wherever they are.
Layer 1: Creating Psychologically Safe Workplaces
The foundation of any mental health support strategy is a workplace culture where people feel safe to acknowledge they're struggling. This sounds simple, but in practice, many organisations inadvertently create environments where employees feel they need to hide their difficulties.
Creating psychological safety means:
- Normalising the conversation
- Checking in meaningfully
- Responding to disclosures with support, not solutions
- Making adjustments without requiring detailed justifications
Layer 2: Equipping People to Support Each Other
Whilst professional mental health services play a crucial role, the reality is that most support during difficult times comes from colleagues, friends, and family. The problem? Most people feel completely unprepared for these conversations.
Training your team – not just managers, but everyone – in basic mental health support skills creates a network of informed, compassionate colleagues who can:
- Recognise when someone might be struggling
- Have supportive conversations without trying to "fix" the person
- Listen without judgment
- Know when and how to signpost to professional help
- Look after their own well-being whilst supporting others
This peer support approach is particularly valuable during times of collective crisis because it acknowledges that we're all affected, we're all navigating this together, and support doesn't have to come from "experts" to be meaningful.
Research consistently shows that social support is one of the most protective factors for mental health during and after traumatic events. By training your workforce in supportive skills, you're essentially multiplying the access points for help.
Layer 3: Making Professional Services Accessible and Visible
Many organisations already provide access to professional mental health services through Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) or private healthcare. The problem isn't always the absence of services – it's that people either don't know about them, don't understand how to access them, or face barriers that prevent them from using them.
Improving access means:
- Regular promotion
- Clear, simple pathways
- Removing practical barriers
- Culturally appropriate options
- Proactive outreach
Layer 4: Creating Workplace Adjustments That Actually Help
Sometimes the most effective mental health support isn't therapy or counselling – it's practical adjustments that reduce stress and create space for people to cope.
Consider how your organisation can build in flexibility during times of heightened crisis:
Workload management:
Can you redistribute urgent work, extend deadlines, or temporarily reduce expectations for employees who are struggling?
Flexible working arrangements:
The option to work from home, adjust hours, or take breaks when needed can make an enormous difference to someone managing mental health symptoms.
Time off for mental health:
Creating clear policies that allow people to take mental health days without requiring them to pretend they have a physical illness reduces stigma and improves access to the rest people need.
Quiet spaces:
Physical environments that allow people to step away when overwhelmed, or to have private conversations with support services, demonstrate that mental health support is built into your workplace infrastructure.
Screen-free time:
For employees experiencing vicarious trauma from constant news exposure, having workplace policies that support stepping away from screens and social media can be protective.
Layer 5: Specialist Support for High-Risk Groups
Certain groups within your workforce may be at particular risk during global catastrophes and may need specialist support pathways:
- Employees from affected communities – those with family in conflict zones or disaster areas may need additional leave, flexible communication with family, connection to community support services, or specialist trauma counselling.
- Those with pre-existing mental health conditions – global crises can exacerbate existing conditions. Proactive check-ins and adjusted support plans can prevent crisis escalation.
- Managers and leaders – those in caring roles for others are at higher risk of compassion fatigue and burnout. They need their own dedicated support, not just training in supporting others.
- Younger workers – research consistently shows that younger generations are more significantly affected by global events and climate anxiety. Age-appropriate support that acknowledges these concerns without dismissing them is essential.
The Role of Training: Building Organisational Capacity
One of the most sustainable ways to improve access to mental health support is to build capacity within your organisation – creating a workforce that's equipped with knowledge, skills, and confidence to support each other.
Quality mental health training does several things simultaneously:
- Increases awareness – helping people recognise mental health symptoms in themselves and others, and understand that these are normal responses to abnormal circumstances.
- Reduces stigma – when everyone in an organisation receives mental health training, it becomes a shared language and understanding rather than something that only affects "those people."
- Builds confidence – people often want to help but fear saying the wrong thing or making things worse. Training provides practical frameworks for supportive conversations.
- Creates early intervention – when people can recognise early warning signs, they can reach out for support before reaching crisis point, reducing the overall burden on emergency services.
- Supports the supporters – training that includes self-care components helps prevent burnout among those who naturally take on caring roles.
The most effective training isn't one-size-fits-all but rather tailored to your organisation's specific context, workforce demographics, and the particular challenges your team faces.
The Business Case for Better Access
So far, we've focused primarily on the human reasons for improving access to mental health support, but there's a compelling business case too.
Organisations that effectively support employees during times of global crisis see:
- Reduced absenteeism
- Maintained productivity
- Improved retention
- Enhanced reputation
- Reduced legal and reputational risks
- Stronger organisational resilience
The cost of not providing adequate mental health support – in terms of turnover, lost productivity, and damaged workplace culture – far exceeds the investment in creating accessible, effective support systems.
The Path Forward
Bridging the gap in access to mental health services during catastrophes and emergencies isn't about creating perfect systems or having unlimited resources. It's about recognising that the world your employees are navigating is extraordinarily challenging, and that your organisation has the power to be a source of support, stability, and hope.
It's about building workplaces where seeking help is normalised, where people feel equipped to support each other, where professional services are accessible and visible, and where practical adjustments make space for human beings to be human during inhuman times.
Your organisation can't stop global crises, but you can absolutely create an environment where your people feel supported through them. And in times like these, that's not just good practice – it's essential.
This World Mental Health Day, we're offering a special webinar designed specifically to help your managers, leaders, and colleagues develop the skills to support others through mental health challenges.
Compassionate Connections: Supporting Others Through Mental Health Challenges
This one-hour session will equip your team with practical strategies for providing emotional support, recognising signs of distress, and guiding colleagues towards professional help when needed – whilst maintaining their own well-being in the process.
Your team will learn:
- How to identify signs of mental health distress in colleagues
- Active listening techniques that make a real difference
- Ways to maintain personal well-being whilst supporting others
- Where to signpost people for professional help
This session directly addresses the World Mental Health Day 2025 theme of access to services – helping you create a workplace where support is available, visible, and effective.
Interested in bringing this session to your organisation?
Email us at info@mhib.co.uk to discuss how we can tailor this webinar for your team's specific needs, or visit our website to explore our full range of evidence-based mental health training.
Because when the world feels overwhelming, workplaces that have invested in genuine support don't just survive – they become anchors of stability for everyone who works there.
Bridging the gap starts with one conversation, one training session, one commitment to doing better. Let's start today.
