Mediation/facilitation in the workplace on the basis of mental health problems
Conflict and mental health issues (traditional perspective)
Workplace conflicts are inevitable. Having different goals and styles can lead to difficult interprofessional relationships and to open conflicts between two or more people. They generate anger, arguments or resentment which can have an impact on mental health.
Conflicts at work can lead to, among other things:
Stress
Anxiety
Psychological distress
Psychological harassment
Absenteeism (depression, adjustment disorder, anxiety disorder)
Failures in the projects
Deterioration of the working environment
Lower quality of work
Mental health issues and conflict (reverse perspective)
While it's true that conflict can lead to mental health issues, we've often found the opposite to be just as true. Most studies show that people with a mood disorder, depression or struggling with an anxiety disorder have a biased information-processing system that prevents them from seeing the positive. They develop a negative attributional style, negative thoughts and expectations, and a propensity to generate the same type of negativity in others about them. (Source: Hammen (1991), Sacco (1990), Coyne (1976))
So this is a complete reversal of perspective. It’s no longer conflict that causes mental health problems, but mental health problems that cause conflict. Our practice has allowed us to detect that the pathologies related to this type of conflict are the same (depression, adjustment disorder, anxiety disorder) as those related to conventional conflicts. We also noticed that they were more widespread than conventional conflicts.
Mental health disorders can lead individuals to:
Have a biased information system that prevents them from seeing the positive (fundamental characteristics of depressive and anxious problems)
Develop a negative assignment style (they assign negative intentions to their colleagues)
Have negative thoughts and expectations (the positive is filtered and no longer succeeds)
Transfer their negative affects (colleagues end up finding them very negative and may themselves end up feeling depressed, anxious, hostile and inclined to reject others)
When we are confronted with this type of conflict, we have developed an exclusive mediation approach-facilitation based on the model of William P. Sacco of the Florida State University : A social cognitive model of interpersonal processes in depression. (1)
In essence, this model offers stakeholders and parties involved in a conflict with a person suffering from a mental health problem the opportunity to show empathy and offer support in order to mitigate conflict. According to this model, social support plays a role in maintaining psychological balance and helps to lower the level of stress of a conflictual event. We have adapted our mediation-facilitation approach to include the specifics of this model and have achieved much better results in finding solutions to this type of conflict.
Description of the service
No opinion/decision is issued by the Facilitator;
Examines the interests of each party vs. the position of each party;
Cultivates understanding and respect for each other;
Maintains and potentially improves relationships between parties.
Objectives
Improve communication between parties;
Consider specificities when dealing with conflict following a mental health issue;
Define/clarify the interests of each party;
Maximize the exploration of alternatives;
Resolve the conflict;
Preventing the recurrence of conflicts.
The process:
Preparation;
Fact-finding interview (EE, ER);
Discover the underlying interests of each party
Develop solutions for mutual gains
Shuttle diplomacy of the mediator-facilitator with the parties;
Tripartite session;
Reach an agreement
The characteristics are:
• Voluntary participation;
• Alleviates suffering;
• Confidential;
• Feasible and implantable solutions;
• Preserves future relationships;
• Significant cost/benefit ratio (return to work faster).
The Facilitator:
• Trained in conflict management and our distinctive Sacco approach;
• Strong skills;
• Excellent listener;
• Neutral;
• Able to work under stress and hostile conditions;
• Well developed analytical skills;
• Highly empathetic.
When to refer
When a conflict is suspected;
When there is a conflict;
When disability and medical condition appear to be associated with conflict at work;
When the conflict problem seems to be associated with a mental health pathology.
(1) (Source : Hammen (1991), Sacco, (1990), Coyne, (1976))
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