In the past five years, a multitude of changes have occurred in the workplace – from the classroom to the patient’s room – often resulting in stress and burnout. The American Psychological Association’s 2023 Work in America Survey found that 77 percent of workers reported experiencing work-related stress. Meanwhile, 57 percent reported experiencing symptoms associated with burnout, such as emotional exhaustion, lower productivity, a desire to quit, and more.
In 2022, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released a Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Wellbeing. He highlighted how important workplace mental health has become since the pandemic:
“The pandemic has presented us with an opportunity to rethink how we work. We have the power to make workplaces engines for mental health and well-being. Doing so will require organizations to rethink how they protect workers from harm, foster a sense of connection among workers, show them that they matter, make space for their lives outside work, and support their long-term professional growth. This may not be easy. But it will be worth it because the benefits will accrue to workers and organizations. A healthy workforce is a foundation for thriving organizations and a healthy community.”
To support workers’ mental health and wellbeing, we need to build trauma-informed workplaces.
According to the Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice, trauma-informed practices focus on preventing, mitigating, and addressing stressful and adverse events, making them a strong framework for increasing safety, well-being, productivity, and inclusivity in the workplace. The Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice’s Trauma-Informed Workplace Toolkit emphasizes that implementing trauma-informed change involves a commitment to an ongoing process of reflection, evaluation, discovery, and reform. Organizations benefit from including all team members in ongoing education and training on trauma, mental health and wellness, and trauma-informed principles and strategies. All members of an organization should be included in learning opportunities because each member may be impacted by and have an impact on the organizational culture.
Incorporating the principles of trauma-informed care into an organization can take various forms for different organizations. Regardless of the workplace setting, it is recommended that all six trauma-informed care principles be prioritized and fully integrated into the policies and procedures of the organization.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines the six key principles as:
- Safety: Participants and staff feel physically and psychologically safe.
- Peer support: Peer support and mutual self-help are key as vehicles for establishing safety and hope, building trust, enhancing collaboration, and utilizing their lived experience to promote recovery and healing.
- Trustworthiness and Transparency: Organizational decisions are conducted to build and maintain trust with participants and staff.
- Collaboration and Mutuality: Importance is placed on partnering and leveling power differences between staff and service participants.
- Cultural, Historical, and Gender Issues: Culture- and gender-responsive services are offered while moving beyond stereotypes/biases.
- Empowerment, Voice, and Choice: Organizations foster a belief in the primacy of the people who serve to heal and promote recovery from trauma.
While trauma-informed workplaces create a safe workplace environment for employees who have experienced trauma, they also support the well-being of all employees and mitigate work-related stress and burnout. Employees who trusted their management reported less stress, more energy at work, higher productivity, fewer sick days, more engagement, more life satisfaction, and less burnout. Employees want to feel respected, included, and supported in the workplace. Building a trauma-informed workplace can enhance the lives and well-being of employees in many ways.
However, trauma-informed care is not a checklist that can be finished, but rather an ongoing process requiring collaboration from everyone in the organization. For more information on building a trauma-informed workplace, check out the resources below.
Additional Resources:
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Practical Guide for Implementing a Trauma-Informed Approach
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Trauma-informed Organizational Toolkit
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being