Understanding And Supporting Maternal Mental Health In The Workplace
This is a startling statistic showing an immediate need for providing better support to women and their partners going through the maternity journey.
What should be a joyful experience is often adversely affected by multiple addressable factors related to emotional health, societal/familial pressures, and professional challenges. For instance, 1 in 5 women experience clinical symptoms of post-partum depression and/or anxiety. A larger portion of women experience sub-clinical symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, low self-esteem, and a loss of confidence.
While maternity leave, paternity leave, and health insurance are extremely important benefits/entitlements provided to expecting mothers and new parents – it is important to ask ourselves if we are doing enough to provide sufficient emotional care.
The transition from work to maternity leave (and then back to work) can be a vulnerable time for new mothers and parents. A whopping 90 per cent of women express[PR1] [SE2] going through “mom guilt” - being worried about caring for their child while working towards achieving professional ambitions. Providing adequate emotional support during this phase has a direct and measurable impact on women’s physical health with a marked reduction in stress levels and weight management as well.
Recognizing the diverse challenges faced by mothers, empowering women with coping strategies, creating roadmaps for pre- and post-partum parenting journeys, and crafting pragmatic back-to-work support programs can be a game changer in helping women return to work, and stay with the organization in the long term too.
So, what are some of the emotional challenges faced by women when returning to work?
● Mom guilt
● Lack of confidence or a perceived lack of negotiating power
● Familial/Societal expectations that can cause stress and anxiety
● Childcare challenges, lack of support, discrimination
● Fear of falling behind
● Unconscious bias
A LinkedIn study found that 25 per cent of working mothers fear skill obsolescence. 21 per cent of working mothers express concerns about balancing responsibilities at home and in the workplace. All of these are addressable concerns. Providing support through various forms such as resources, activities and tips, educational material, peer groups/forums, and one-on-one counseling sessions can empower, equip, and encourage women to come back to work, and stay for the long haul.
Implementing sensitization programs and counseling support for managers goes a long way in creating a safe and supportive work environment for returning mothers. Recognizing that this phase is challenging is the first step. Having an open communication channel for difficult conversations while being empathetic and sensitive goes a long way in helping overcome challenges.
The impact on organizations that don’t invest in women is considerable, going beyond just loss of talent. There are increased recruitment and training costs and an impact on diversity in the organization.
Investing in maternal mental health through the pregnancy, post-partum, and especially return-to-work phases helps bring women back to the workforce and retain them over the long run. New mothers bring added value upon their return. They bring:
● A unique perspective
● Resilience
● Enhanced leadership
● Creativity
● Resourcefulness
● Decision making
● Better problem-solving skills
Providing emotional support for expectant and new mothers is a win-win for both organizations and employees. In addition to reducing attrition, organizations see increased loyalty and engagement from returning mothers. At the same time, new mothers who receive support can better navigate this phase, return to work, and resume their career ambitions where they left off. And finally, receiving emotional and other forms of support helps women reclaim the joys of motherhood.
The author is the CEO of 1to1help
