Today marks the start of Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK, and this year’s theme is a topic very close to my heart: loneliness. Most people who experience mental health issues tend to have one thing in common – they all feel extremely lonely in their daily struggle. To help shed light on this topic, I am speaking with Scott Armstrong, who is not only the Editor in Chief of Arabian Business – the region’s leading source of business news, analytics, thought-leadership and features – but also an advocate for mental health awareness. Scott and I discuss our individual struggles with mental health, why leaders must make mental health a priority in the workplace, how companies can support their teams, and how we can remove the stigma surrounding mental health. Discussion points 02:03 Scott’s career and life journey 05:12 Scott’s mental health journey 09:23 Dealing with pressure 12:00 Asking your team about their mental health 13:45 Companies and mental health 16:23 The Great Resignation 20:55 Are companies doing enough? 27:20 Is the Middle Ease attuned to mental health? 32:00 How the UAE is championing mental health 33:53 Employers’ fears 35:25 A time Scott was impacted by mental health 44:55 Mental health support for young people 47:10 Mental health education Show Sponsors: Smartkas: Providing food security as a service Arabian Business: The region’s leading source of business news, analytics, thought-leadership and features. Najahi Events: The UAE’s leading event promotor Socials: Spencer Lodge https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/ https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLodgeTV   Scott Armstrong linkedin.com/in/scottarmstrongeditor