While coronavirus continues to make its presence felt, the charity Mind has warned that another health crisis lies ahead – a mental health emergency. While most people have struggled with lockdown restrictions, pharmacy teams have kept going yet are more likely to have been affected by Covid-19 due to being on the healthcare frontline and with many individuals from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds. 

This only highlights the need for pharmacy teams not to wait to protect their own mental health and wellbeing but instead prioritise looking after themselves and each other on an ongoing basis. As well as promoting general wellbeing, good mental health in the workplace can have a significant impact on performance.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, nearly 15 per cent of people experience mental health problems in the workplace, with full-time female workers – of which pharmacy has many – nearly twice as likely to have a common mental health problem than their male counterparts (19.8 versus 10.9 per cent). Over 12 per cent of all sickness absence days in the UK can be attributed to mental health problems.