There is a great deal of stigma attached to mental heath. Unfortunately there is a widely-held notion that such issues affect only those on society's margins and that those who experience these kinds of conditions are likely to be unable to function successfully at work.

However, mental health concerns are much more common than many people realise. A quarter of the British population will be affected by some form of them during the course of their lifetimes. While, just like physical health problems, rare cases of mental health issues can be pronounced and severe, most are much more easily remediable. Common mental health problems, such as stress, anxiety or depression can be triggered by professional circumstances as well as very common personal situations, such as the loss of a loved one or family problems.

This misapprehension can be damaging, both towards the potential recovery of the individual and the impact on their workplace. We generally accept that physical ailments - from severe injury to mild scratches - should not necessitate secrecy. When feeling unwell when experiencing physical illness, it is right that we expect sympathy and support from employers and colleagues to assist our recoveries and reduce the impact on our working and personal lives as much as possible.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for mental health, where all too often employees are suffering in silence, through fear of stigmatisation, sometimes aggravating their situation. Fear of redundancy, criticism or an unfairly damaged reputation frequently prevents people from seeking help or asking for time off work to recover.

These problems are disproportionately high in schools. Mental health concerns have consistently been the number one issue for those contacting us about their health and wellbeing; making up between 65 and 75 per cent of all those calls. Teachers, as well as working in sometimes highly-challenging and stressful situations, are much more likely to ‘soldier on' because of their commitment to education and their community. With temporary adjustments to the circumstances, many teachers could overcome such problems quickly and easily and the earlier they seek help, the more swiftly this can happen.

For these reasons, Teacher Support Network last week enthusiastically welcomed guidance from the Department for Children, Schools and Families on ‘Common mental health problems: Supporting school staff by taking action'. We are very proud to say that we helped write the guidance and believe that, if taken seriously, it could prove very helpful to both individuals and schools in dealing with these issues.

Crucially the booklet, which is available on our website, provides advice for every section of a school community: teachers, other staff, school leaders and governors. We believe that it is the responsibility of everyone in schools to contribute to the mental wellbeing of staff members. Not only is there a moral responsibility, but a legal obligation too.

Employers, including schools, already have responsibilities towards staff welfare because of existing legislation: for example the Disability Discrimination Act. The booklet advises that by "sympathetically" applying such legislation, employers in schools can go a long way towards addressing their responsibilities towards staff members with common mental health issues.

The booklet also offers advice for individual teachers. "First and foremost, it is important to stress that mental health conditions are not some kind of ‘failure'." It advises that addressing a problem as soon as possible is crucial, and suggests talking with colleagues, a head of department or someone else with whom you feel an affinity.
Of course, our Support Lines are staffed 24 hours a day if a teacher wants to speak to someone in confidence. Our advisors are fully trained to help teachers tackle any difficulties they may be facing.

We really hope that schools across the country use the release of this guidance as an opportunity to tackle the distressingly prevalent culture of stigmatisation of those experiencing mental health problems. Let's help ensure that everyone working in schools - and headteachers and line managers in particular - get hold of a copy of this document and implement its suggestions.

It may be sometime before mental ill-health is as socially acceptable as ill-physical but we believe the Government's guidance should help challenge popular misconceptions about mental health and ensure that schools and individuals can overcome them when they occur.

Please download a copy of this guidance from our website at www.teachersupport.info or order copies to give to your school leadership team from www.teachernet.gov.uk.