The restaurant and hospitality industries are high-paced and high-stress-and have some of the highest rates of mental illness in any field. For staff in these industries, it’s the nature of the job to look after everyone else and put themselves last. And for many, the intensity of the roles can lead to burnout, which can make it feel like addressing their mental health is “too little, too late.”
These industries experience heightened rates of drug use, mental health issues, and harassment-and for many folks working in restaurants or hospitality, a poor quality of life. So, how do we initiate change in addressing mental health? How can we help individuals feel valued, seen, and heard when they’re concerned about their own mental health? And in what ways can we instill changes in these industries?
Food & Wine Magazine’s Kat Kinsman, MIDA Boston’s Douglass Williams, and McLean Hospital’s Ipsit Vahia, MD, discuss ways to recognize crisis in yourself and others, share methods to have constructive-and productive-conversations about mental health, and answer audience questions about mental health in two critical industries.