The women, trans and non-binary gender-specific issues that every mental wellbeing strategy should cover

Workplace discussions around mental health and wellbeing have perhaps never been more common. More and more, companies are expanding their mental wellbeing support for employees, from increasing mental health benefits to fostering a culture of care at work.

Some experts argue that the collective emotional effects of Covid-19 and subsequent lockdowns have triggered a workplace “revolution” in mental health care. But as it becomes more common for companies to create or freshen up their mental wellbeing strategies, it is important to highlight the gender-specific issues that impact employees. While anyone can suffer from depression, anxiety and other psychological issues, there are specific problems faced by women, trans and non-binary people that often require specialised care.

They may even face discrimination when attempting to access this care, in addition to long waiting times that feel dispiriting and stressful. In this article, we’ll break down some key issues faced by women, trans and non-binary folks that negatively impact mental health, as a way to advocate for gender-specific mental wellbeing strategies in the workplace.

Issues impacting women’s mental health

While men and women can experience the same mental health issues, there are areas in which both cis and transgender women may be placed at greater risk in the workplace and society as a whole. According to the Rape Crisis, one in five women in England and Wales has been sexually assaulted since the age of 16, compared to one in 25 men. Other resources place these figures even higher for women and girls. Therefore, a women-specific mental wellbeing strategy needs to consider the ways gendered assault, harassment and bullying impact women at work, just as they would impact them in any aspect of life. What happens in our personal lives will inevitably filter into our professional lives, and addressing this link signals to employees that you care about their emotional wellbeing. That is not to mention the sexual violence that can and does occur at work.

The UK’s Everyday Sexism project surveyed 1,500 women to find that 52% of them had faced unwanted sexual behaviours at work, from inappropriate jokes to touching. Creating a zero-tolerance policy toward sexual harassment and sticking to it is a necessary component to ensuring women feel safe at work.

It is also important to make sure that all leadership members are trained to keep an eye out for sexual harassment and know-how to address it, not just HR staff. Women are also more likely to be primary carers for children, loved ones with disabilities, or ageing family members, on top of their regular jobs. The pressure and expectations of caring for loved ones can place carers at a greater risk for stress and depression. As an employer, it is important to recognise these additional pressures your employees may face, and incorporate them into your mental health and wellbeing strategy. This could involve allowing additional leave for caring duties or flexible working hours.

The link between gynae health and mental health

Women, along with some trans and non-binary people, also face a myriad of gynaecological and hormonal health issues that impact mental health and should not be ignored at work. Menopause affects 3.5 million working women in the UK, and nearly 60% of them say it has negatively impacted their work. When you also consider that 10% of women have actually quit their jobs due to menopause symptoms, it becomes clear that a workplace mental health strategy needs to shine a light on these issues. For employers, this could mean providing access to therapy, potential hormone replacement therapy (HRT), nutrition advice to decrease symptoms, flexible working hours and more. To find out more about how you can incorporate menopause-centred policies at work, check out this article.

Gynae health issues that cause chronic pain, such as endometriosis, also have a significant effect on mental health. Researchers have found that people with endometriosis are twice as likely to experience depression. This contributes to the link between chronic pain and mental wellbeing. Dysmenorrhea (severe pain during your period), dyspareunia (continuous pain during sex), non-menstrual pelvic pain and pain with ovulation all impact those with endo, a condition that affects one in 10 women in the UK.

Both Endo and PCOS can also cause fertility issues that make family planning a stressful and emotional experience. Offering support for the emotional toll these situations take can let your employers know that they are not alone, and perhaps offer them support that they have not been able to access elsewhere due to long waiting times and other barriers to care. Syrona offers several solutions for employers to incorporate into their general health and mental health strategies.

Access to care for trans and non-binary communities

LGBTQ+ individuals experience a greater incidence of mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, suicidality and substance misuse than the majority population. Despite some positive changes having occurred in regard to social attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community as well as significant legal changes, mental health statistics have stayed the same. As a result, any company’s mental health strategy should address this inequality. One study found that 88% of trans individuals experienced depression and 75% experienced anxiety, compared to about 20% of the majority UK population. Research indicates that trans and other LGBTQ+ people also suffer due to a lack of support networks, particularly familial ones. In a society that bases a lot of support around family ties, this becomes tricky for those who may be estranged from their families or face discrimination in their own family-building.

This means LGBTQ+ individuals often have to rely on external support networks, such as social services, which are notoriously under-funded and often still mired in discriminatory practices. Despite these high numbers of mental health issues, public services to address these problems are lacking. When accessing general healthcare services, 61% of trans people said they were asked questions about trans people that indicated a lack of knowledge from the healthcare provider; this correlates to 40% when accessing mental health services. Nearly 30% of trans people have had their gender identity treated as a symptom of a mental health issue, and 12% have been refused healthcare or had their healthcare ended due to being trans.

For non-binary individuals, those who do not identify within the gender binary system, accessing any form of healthcare can be a minefield. One study found that 70% of non-binary or genderqueer individuals expressed a need for gender-related counselling, with only 31% of them having access to psychological clinical services compared to 73% of trans individuals who fall along the gender binary. In many cases, this is because mental health professionals still view trans identity as adhering to a gender binary that is not pertinent to non-binary folks, and generally express confusion around non-binary identity that creates barriers in accessing mental health care.

These are just a few examples to illustrate the diverse needs of trans and non-binary communities, highlighting how they are underserved by mental health services. The challenges faced by these communities make it all the more important for companies to implement comprehensive mental health strategies that are specific to marginalised genders.

Gender-affirming healthcare

Many researchers into trans and non-binary healthcare emphasise the importance of gender-affirming healthcare. This refers to a “non-pathologising” clinical approach, meaning someone’s gender identity will not be treated as a symptom of a mental health issue. Rather, all genders are validated, while the gender binary is rejected. While there is definitely an impetus put on social services to break down discriminatory practices and educate mental health professionals on gender, for companies, one way to streamline this process for employees is by providing access to gender-affirming mental health services. Trans and non-binary individuals generally have specific mental health needs not applicable to cisgender people, highlighting the shortcomings of a one-size-fits-all mental health strategy.

This specialised care can include exploration of gender identity, which involves self-acceptance and potentially prep work for gender-affirming treatments and procedures. It can also include the mental health aspect of coming out or transitioning, with a focus on developing tools to cope with being trans or non-binary in a world that is often transphobic. In addition to these areas, a mental health strategy should also include general issues that are possibly unrelated to gender identities, such as depression, anxiety, or substance abuse. It is important for trans and non-binary folks to have access to this general care in a way that does not pathologise their gender identity.

This article has highlighted a few of the ways in which women, trans and non-binary people may face mental health issues that are specific to their gender, and that require diverse solutions. Addressing these needs will benefit both employers and employees: access to gender-specific mental health care will likely improve your employees’ experience at work, thus increasing job retention and creating a safe environment for all workers.

For more information on creating a comprehensive well-being strategy, check out Syrona’s digital solution for employers.

This article was written for Syrona by Emma Olsson.

References

• mental-health-in-the-workplace-the-coming-revolution
• about-sexual-violence/
• sexual-harassment-in-the-workplace-is-found-to-affect-over-half-of-uk-women/
• looking-after-your-health/
• stress-and-depression
• https://www.cipd.co.uk/about/media/press/menopause-at-work#gref
• https://www.balance-menopause.com/menopause-library/menopause-and-work/#
• https://endometriosis.net/health-conditions-linked/depression-anxiety
• https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/endometriosis-facts-and-figures
• https://www.lgbthealth.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/LGBTI-Populations-and-Mental-Health-Inequality-May-2018.pdf
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• lhttps://transcare.ucsf.edu/guidelines/mental-health