Multi-national research

Combating local stigma

Merck, an American multinational pharmaceutical company, illustrates how global companies can rely on storytelling and local resilience building to combat stigma and promote the understanding that mental health, like physical health, is essential to overall well-being.

Merck: Tackling stigma at the grassroots level

Stigma remains a barrier to good mental health across the world. Seeking to tackle this challenge across its global workforce, Merck, an American multinational pharmaceutical company, has launched the “Mind Well” initiative, which seeks to use storytelling and resilience-building to combat stigma, in addition to providing employees access to mental healthcare and resources. Part of the initiative’s aim is to drive acceptance that mental health, like physical health, is an integral part of overall well-being.¹

A key component of the Mind Well initiative is a global network of mental health “Champions”. This network comprises over 100 Merck employees who have completed Mental Health First Aid training and are available to provide information and resources on emotional well-being and mental health to their colleagues.²

People are talking in the therapy circle

Merck’s Mind Well Champions operate at the grassroots level to reduce mental health stigma and raise awareness of mental health conditions. Although Mind Well is a global initiative, it emphasizes the role of local leadership in fostering a supportive work environment.

A crucial aspect of designing a supportive environment for mental health is to ensure that those in leadership positions are able to set an empathetic, sensitive example to their staff. In 2020, seeking to strengthen Mind Well and educate senior staff on emotional intelligence and how to respond compassionately to colleagues in distress, Merck launched a global mental health awareness training program for managers. By the following year, approximately 3,000 managers worldwide had completed this training, thereby equipping them with the tools to connect colleagues with emotional and well-being resources, while also educating them on emotional intelligence and compassionate responses for colleagues who may be struggling.³

References

McHugh T, Fraone J, Zhang Z. Mental health in the post-pandemic workplace: a culture shift towards transparency & empathy. Chestnut Hill[MA]: Boston College Center for Work and Family; 2021. Available from: https://archive.hshsl.umaryland.edu/bitstream/handle/10713/17351/BCCWF%20Mental%20Health%20EBS.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.
Ibid.
Ibid.