Recognizing BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month at Mediahub
Did you know that individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color (BIPOC) often experience higher rates of stress and burnout in the workplace? According to a recent study from Hue, a nonprofit dedicated to building equity and prosperity for BIPOC communities, in 2021 marginalized professionals were 44% more likely to experience workplace burnout and exhaustion than their White counterparts.
In honor of BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month this July, we joined our B@ ERG in hosting a conversation with featured speaker Felicia Campbell, LCSW to discuss the correlation between occupational stress, race, and mental health. She discussed the importance of prioritizing mental wellness in the workplace, ways to identify and counter burnout from an individual and organization level, as well as the long-term impact of race-based occupational stress on mental and physical health.
We appreciate the thoughtful and meaningful discussion Felicia provided to our Mediahub team and have shared some of her insights below. Special thanks to our B@ ERG for hosting!
How do you define BIPOC mental health in relation to the workplace?
This refers to the mental health and wellbeing of minoritized individuals that are impacted by their work environment. Factors that impact BIPOC mental health in the workplace include experiences with racism and discrimination at work (microaggressions, microassaults, etc.) and organizational policies and practices that create and contribute to the higher rates of stress, burnout, and other mental health challenges we see in BIPOC individuals (poor worklife balance, pay inequity, lack of advancement, etc.)
As a clinical social worker, have any personal and/or professional experiences shaped your work/thoughts on this topic?
I have noticed patterns in my work with BIPOC clients who experience high rates of stress, burnout and overall dissatisfaction with work. They self-report feeling dehumanized, demoralized and devalued in response to the financial strain some experience in their daily lives from being overworked and inadequately compensated (a systemic issue) while also having to deal with the emotional and psychological toll of experiencing direct individual racism from management, leadership and coworkers. This sometimes generates feelings of frustration, hopelessness, and despair and contributes to occupational stress, burn out, depression, and anxiety in BIPOC employees. Similar sentiments come up in BIPOC employees in well-paying positions who feel as though the emotional and psychological toll simply isn't worth their physical and mental health.
What are a few ways BIPOC employees can combat burnout?
Employees can combat burnout by learning to recognize symptoms of burnout and proactively prioritizing self-care. This includes ensuring that basic needs are met (sleep, nutrition, exercise, hydration), taking PTO, establishing boundaries with work, and scheduling protected time away from work-related tasks, among others.
It is important to recognize burnout as not just an individual issue, but an organizational issue as well. Employers can make sure employees have access to resources needed to take care of their physical and mental health (EAP, health insurance, etc.), PTO, sustainable work-life balance, protected time, and safe spaces. Check in with employees and normalize conversations around occupational stress, exhaustion and burnout without judgment. This is a very common, valid and appropriate human response to working in high stress and demanding environments during these unprecedented times.
What are two things you hope people learn about BIPOC mental health?
I hope people have a deeper understanding of how occupational stress impacts the mental and physical health of BIPOC employees. I hope the factual information presented [in my discussion with B@] helps to put this into perspective and encourages employers and employees to take proactive approaches to prioritize BIPOC mental health in the workplace on both the individual and organizational level. Work is an important part of our lives and where we spend a lot of our time. We all deserve work environments that are physically, mentally and emotionally safe.
About Felicia:
Felicia Campbell is a licensed clinical social worker with a diverse professional, academic and research background working in legal settings, schools and mental health clinics in New York, Pittsburgh, London and Connecticut. Currently, she is a full-time faculty clinician at Yale University School of Medicine where she provides mental health services to children, adolescents and families. She also practices independently as a private practice clinician providing trauma-focused therapy to Black adults across the state of Connecticut.