What it’s all about
Team mental health is a broad term that describes the mental and emotional state of the members of a team. It refers to overall well-being, the ability to manage stress, work effectively and maintain productive, positive relationships in the workplace. The mental health of a team influences both the individual wellbeing of team members and the overall performance and working atmosphere within the group.
Emotional well-being
A key aspect of mental health is emotional wellbeing. It encompasses the ability of team members to recognise, express and regulate their feelings. A healthy team is characterised by a high level of emotional intelligence, where members are able to empathise with each other and provide emotional support. This contributes to a positive working atmosphere and helps to reduce conflict and tension.
Dealing with stress
Another key aspect is stress management. Mental health means that employees are able to deal constructively with the challenges and pressures of everyday working life. This includes both short-term stressors, such as tight deadlines or unexpected problems, and long-term stressors, such as high workloads or job insecurity. A mentally healthy team has strategies and resources to manage stress effectively and strengthen the resilience of its members.
Effectiveness of cooperation
The ability to work together effectively is also an essential component of mental health. It involves the willingness and ability of staff to work together in a co-operative and solution-oriented manner, to provide mutual support and to work together to achieve team goals. Good communication and a strong sense of belonging are key to creating a supportive and productive working environment.
Self-efficacy
Added to this is self-efficacy, i.e. confidence in one’s own abilities and the conviction that one can successfully overcome challenges. Team members who feel competent and empowered contribute to a positive and productive working environment. This confidence in their own performance not only strengthens individual well-being, but also promotes overall productivity.
Social support
Social support is another building block. The term describes an environment in which team members support each other, show understanding and a willingness to help. This behaviour contributes significantly to reducing stress and increasing general well-being. The quality of interpersonal relationships within the team plays a decisive role here.
Job satisfaction
Finally, job satisfaction should be mentioned. This results from the correspondence between individual expectations and needs and the actual working conditions and requirements. A high level of job satisfaction leads to greater commitment, higher motivation and overall better performance.
Negative effects of poor mental health on teams and teamwork
When a manager neglects the importance of mental health and does not adequately address the psychological and emotional needs of team members, there are a variety of negative effects that significantly impact both the team and the quality of teamwork.
Stress and burnout
If mental health is not promoted, there is an increased risk of employees experiencing chronic stress, which can lead to exhaustion and burnout. This often manifests itself in reduced productivity, an increasing frequency of errors and increased sickness absence. Burnout also causes employees to become emotionally distant and less committed, which has a negative impact on team dynamics and makes collaboration more difficult.
Increase in disputes
Another problem is the increase in conflicts and tensions within the team. When employees are emotionally overloaded and stressed, they react impulsively and negatively in conflict situations. The result is frequent arguments and a poisoned working atmosphere in which mistrust and dissatisfaction prevail. Such conflicts not only disrupt day-to-day work, but can also severely damage relationships and teamwork in the long term.
Communication deficits
The quality of communication also suffers considerably from a lack of mental health. In a stressed and emotionally unstable team, communication often becomes inefficient and unclear. Misunderstandings and miscommunication occur more frequently as staff are less attentive and less patient. Poor communication hinders the flow of information and coordination, resulting in delays and errors in project work.
Low creativity
The team’s ability to innovate and be creative is also severely impaired. Mental health is closely linked to the ability to think creatively and develop innovative solutions. In a stressful environment where employees feel mentally exhausted, the willingness and ability to think creatively and generate new ideas decreases.
Demotivation
Another significant problem is the reduction in motivation and commitment among employees. When mental health is neglected, employees feel unappreciated and unsupported, and morale drops as a result. Low motivation not only affects individual performance, but also weakens the collective energy and commitment of the entire team. This is subsequently reflected in higher staff turnover and difficulties in retaining staff, resulting in additional costs and challenges.
Declining trust
The long-term impact on employee trust and loyalty should also not be underestimated. In a working environment where mental health is not promoted, employees feel abandoned and unprotected. This feeling undermines trust in leadership and weakens employee loyalty. As a result, valuable talent is more likely to leave the organisation and take their skills and experience elsewhere.
Strategies for leaders to promote mental health in the team
Communication
The foundation of a healthy work environment is open and transparent communication. Managers should regularly talk to their employees to understand their needs and concerns. This builds trust and shows employees that their opinions are valued. Open communication also requires managers to be able to give and receive feedback constructively and respectfully. This creates a culture of openness in which problems can be recognised and addressed at an early stage.
Work-life balance
Another key aspect is the promotion of work-life balance. In this context, it is the task of managers to ensure that the workload is distributed appropriately and that employees have sufficient time for relaxation and private commitments. Flexible working hours and the option to work remotely can help to reduce stress and increase satisfaction. Managers should also encourage their employees to take breaks and holidays to prevent burnout.
Empathy
Empathy is another key skill that managers need to develop. Empathetic managers can put themselves in the shoes of their employees and understand their feelings and perspectives. This not only helps to create a supportive and respectful working environment, but also to respond appropriately to individual needs and challenges. Empathy can be strengthened through regular training and self-reflection.
Working atmosphere
Creating a positive working environment is also important. Employees need an environment in which they feel valued and respected. This can be achieved by recognising and rewarding good performance, but also by promoting teamwork and social interaction. Team-building activities and joint endeavours strengthen the sense of togetherness and improve the working atmosphere.
Resilience
Another important point is the promotion of resilience. The term describes the ability to remain healthy despite difficult conditions and to recover from setbacks. Managers can support their employees in this by providing them with tools and techniques for coping with stress. This can be done through training on topics such as mindfulness, stress management and healthy living.
Self-efficacy
Mental health is closely linked to a sense of self-efficacy. Employees who feel they can positively influence their work and their environment tend to be less stressed and more satisfied. Managers should therefore take care to give their employees autonomy and room for manoeuvre, for example by delegating responsibility and involving employees in decision-making processes. Employees who feel that they are an important part of the organisation are more motivated and committed.
Training
Regular training and further education are also helpful in promoting mental health. Managers must ensure that their employees have the necessary skills and knowledge to perform their tasks successfully. This reduces uncertainty and stress and increases satisfaction and confidence in their own performance. Further training can also help to raise awareness of mental health and improve the handling of stress and pressure.
The role model function of the manager
Finally, it is very important that managers are role models and take care of their own mental health. Managers who speak openly about their own challenges and show how they deal with stress create a culture of openness and trust. By practising healthy habits themselves, managers can inspire and encourage their employees to look after their mental health too.
Conclusion
To summarise, employee mental health is a multi-faceted issue that requires a holistic and proactive approach. Managers can make a significant contribution to the mental health of their team through open communication, promoting work-life balance, empathy, creating a positive working environment, promoting resilience, supporting self-efficacy, regular training and setting a good example. A healthy working environment is not only in the interests of employees, but is also crucial for the long-term success of companies.
Further reading
- Paganin, G., et al. (2023). The Impact of Mental Health Leadership on Teamwork in Healthcare Organizations: A Serial Mediation Study. Sustainability, 15(9), 7337.
- McGuier, E.A., et al. (2023). Associations between teamwork and implementation outcomes in multidisciplinary cross-sector teams implementing a mental health screening and referral protocol. Implementation Science Communications, 4, 13.
- Lavelle, M., et al. (2022). The Role of Transactive Memory Systems, Psychological Safety and Interpersonal Conflict in Hospital Team Performance. BMJ Quality & Safety, 31(8), 609-619.
- Schmutz, J.B., et al. (2019). How Effective Is Teamwork Really? The Relationship between Teamwork and Performance in Healthcare Teams: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. BMJ Open, 9.
- Fleury, M.J., et al. (2017). Relations between mental health team characteristics and work role performance. PLOS ONE, 12(10).
- Mach, M., & Baruch, Y. (2023). Team performance in healthcare: The role of psychological safety, team reflexivity, and team learning. Human Resource Management, 62(1), 85-101.
- Edmondson, A.C., & Lei, Z. (2022). Psychological Safety: The History, Renaissance, and Future of an Interpersonal Construct. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 9, 233-261.
- West, M.A., et al. (2021). The role of team working in the effectiveness of health care. Journal of Health Services Research & Policy, 26(1), 10-13.
- Lyubovnikova, J., et al. (2022). How team reflexivity and psychological safety shape team creativity: A cross-level mediation model. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 95(1), 197-221.
- Jungmann, F., et al. (2023). Teamwork in Healthcare: A Scoping Review of Interventions to Improve Team Effectiveness. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(3), 2286.
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R2049 