Mental health issues affect many

Perhaps you have experienced a mental health issue. Perhaps a friend or loved one has. You might be surprised how common mental health issues are.

Here are some interesting statistics from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI):

1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year.

1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year.

1 in 6 U.S. youth, ages 6-17, experience a mental health disorder each year.

So, what are we talking about when we say mental health disorders? It can range across the spectrum. According to the Mayo Clinic, “mental illness, also called mental health disorders, refers to a wide range of mental health conditions — disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior.”

That means everything from anxiety to depression and suicidal thoughts can be on the mental health continuum.

Brad Barber

Brad Barber, CEO, H&E Equipment Services, Baton Rouge, La., has dealt with this issue in his rental operation. It has made such a lasting impression that he is determined to raise awareness and break the stigma of mental health problems so people can receive the assistance they need.

He first encountered it about three years ago when his company hired a homeless individual. “This young man did well for three or four months. At that point in time, he developed some significant issues we couldn’t understand. We thought it was drug-related, but it turned out to be mental health-related. While he could no longer work in our office, I was trying to find resources to help him and found it very frustrating that I couldn’t find public mental health resources to assist him,” he says.

That search led him on a journey where he met his now-good friend Tonja Myles, a certified peer recovery specialist. Myles is an ordained minister, community activist and suicide survivor who has been in recovery from addictions for more than 36 years. In 2004, she and her husband, Darren, established Set Free Indeed, the first licensed faith-based outpatient treatment center in the state of Louisiana, which was recognized by then-President George W. Bush during his 2003 State of the Union address. Myles also served as an adviser to the White House on addictions during President Bush’s time in office.

Through Myles, Barber met Dan Gillison, CEO of NAMI. NAMI, which is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization, is an alliance of more than 600 local affiliates that work in their communities to raise awareness and provide mental health support and education.

Next, through this growing network of individuals who are focused on raising awareness and advancing access to mental health resources, he met siblings David and Christina Huntsman Durham, as well as her husband, Rick Durham, of the Huntsman Family Foundation. Huntsman serves as president and chief operating officer, and Huntsman Durham as executive vice president. They lead their family’s foundation that is focused on eradicating the stigma associated with mental illness. Their foundation bestowed $150 million to the University of Utah in 2019 to establish a mental health institute.

Barber is quick to point out that “all my new friends are people of action and perseverance. Their missions are inspiring.”

As Barber was learning more about this issue, gathering information as a way to expand resources for his employees, tragedy struck within his organization.

In August 2023, one of his six regional vice presidents died by suicide. “We were shocked. He was 45 years old, had a young family, was well-respected and a high performer. Everything seemed to look fine, but it was clear it was not,” Barber says, emotion in his voice.

“Since then I have become more determined than ever to work with my friends Tonja, Dan, Christina, David and Rick as well as many others in spreading the awareness of mental health. As CEO of H&E, I feel it is my responsibility to inform our employees of risk — all risk. Mental health is not one that people like to talk about. I don’t like doing this work, but the truth is it has to be spoken about openly so we can reduce the stigma and allow people to seek help so they can live the life they deserve,” he says.

Barber took a bold step at the company’s annual leadership conference this past December.

“We had nearly 300 leaders — branch managers, sales managers and regional directors — at this meeting. I spoke for 45 minutes. I talked about the staggering statistics. I have had more than a half-dozen people speak to me directly. I welcome when someone calls me and says, ‘I am struggling.’ We personally try to lead them to the right path,” he says.

Talking openly about this topic is crucial to combating the stigma of mental health problems. “It has become a more frequent and intentional conversation. The best way to crack it is to address it. It has been my experience that when you have this conversation with groups of people, you can tell it is hitting home. You see tears well up or people pay more attention. Any stigma is broken down through awareness, education and communication,” Barber adds.

That is why he requires all his managers and directors to “engage with their employees and pay attention to them. One of the best things you can do, according to my friend Dan Gillison, is to stop and pause, look someone in their eyes and ask how they are doing. It is talking and listening with intention to see what kind of response you get,” Barber says.

But talking about the issue is just one step taken at H&E Equipment Services. Barber and his team have an evolving range of resources.

Offer time off. “Mental illness deserves the same time off as would COVID-19 or the flu,” Barber says. “If you are sick, you seek help. Mental health is no different.”

Make sure everyone takes a vacation. “Stress and burnout are real. We emphasize vacations. We use Workday for our human capital management platform. It reports to us if people go a certain number of days without taking a day off. You can’t work a year at H&E without taking a vacation. It can’t happen,” he says.

Provide a substantial discount on annual health care visits through its wellness program. “If someone goes for an in-person annual physical, that person receives a discount off their health insurance premiums. We hope the physician also pays attention to mental health issues and talks about this with their patients,” Barber adds.

Offer mental health services via the company’s health insurance. “We also use EAP, an Employee Assistance Program. We help our employees through the EAP and have someone on our staff follow up with those individuals,” he says.

Barber plans to enhance those services by providing:

Mental health awareness training. “We plan to roll this out before mid-year. Like the LMS [learning management system] that we do with our other training, we want to remind people and have them know the warning signs, why stigma is harmful and good practical examples,” he says.

Mental health assistance within the company’s benefits program. While still in the planning stages, the goal is to be “proactive,” Barber says. “We are considering a variety of options to improve coverage and access to the mental health needs of those we serve — our employees. We have recently hired a nurse practitioner with mental health experience within our HR staff. This level of professional can better triage and assist our employees with the help they need. When someone is finally willing to share that they are struggling, getting them the right help as quickly as possible is very important. That is what we are looking to sharpen up this year.”

The response from employees has been overwhelmingly positive. “Our employees seem to be very appreciative. I know when I addressed this issue at our leadership conference, I was overwhelmed by their heartfelt texts, in-person conversations and emails, sharing their own issues or issues related to family members, and how happy they were that we were discussing this,” Barber says.

Barber understands how this can be a “sticky topic. People don’t talk about it because it is uncomfortable. They assume those conversations will be negative. The situation is unfortunate, but the conversations are not negative. They lead to hope. I think a lot of these folks feel like they are alone. When they realize others care and there is hope for help, they look like a weight has been lifted off them. I have heard nothing negative from our employees,” he says.

Common signs of mental illness

Mental illness is not always a straightforward science, according to the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI). While each condition has its own set of unique symptoms, those symptoms can overlap.

NAMI lists these signs or symptoms that could indicate a mental health issue:

Feeling sad or withdrawn for more than two weeks.

Trying to harm or end one’s life or making plans to do so.

Severe, out-of-control, risk-taking behavior that causes harm to oneself or others.

Sudden overwhelming fear for no reason, sometimes with a racing heart, physical discomfort or difficulty breathing.

Significant weight loss or gain.

Seeing, hearing or believing things that aren’t real. NAMI notes that “various communities and backgrounds might view this sign differently based on their beliefs and experiences. Some people within these communities and cultures may not interpret hearing voices as unusual.”

Excessive use of alcohol or drugs.

Drastic change in mood, behavior, personality or sleeping habits.

Extreme difficulty concentrating or staying still.

Intense worries or fears that get in the way of daily activities.