Mental Health at Work
With one out of every five Americans of working age reporting a mental illness and 71% of the same group describing symptoms of stress, mental health in the U.S. has taken a starring role in how we think about workplace wellness. In short, mental health matters at work, both in terms of employee well-being and productivity and performance. The U.S. Surgeon General's Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being framework notes mental health is a concern for current employees, but will also be a guiding factor in how and where employees seek new work.
On this page, you'll find guides and training on how to prioritize workplace mental health and what a Total Worker Health® approach tells us about creating a supportive and safe working environment. This page also includes information on suicide prevention in the workplace and thinking about stress as a workplace hazard.
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Featured Resources
The Center for Health, Work & Environment offers a free 30-minute course on Mental Health in the Workplace that outlines the importance of prioritizing and addressing workplace mental health through four key components: culture, benefits, training, and accessibility. Participants will engage in the content through research-based outcomes, video testimonials, and interactive activities to gain a better understanding of how they can play an active role in supporting the mental health and well-being of working people. Through this course, participants will learn practical and helpful action steps to raise awareness about mental health, reduce stigma, and prioritize care for all employees. SHRM and CHES continuing education credits are available.
Mental Health Policies in the Workplace from the Healthier Workforce Center of the Midwest is a 21-minute webinar that explores workplace policies, which are the first step for an employer to begin addressing mental health. In addition, workplace guidelines can be used to improve employee mental health and provide a plan for action. This webinar offers ways for employers to implement programs and policies that lead to a healthier workplace for employees at all levels of an organization.
This 10-minute Mental Wellness podcast from the Healthier Workforce Center of the Midwest centers around facing stress and adversity in more productive ways and how to support workforces, both on-site and remote, to be more resilient. A system of support for employees gives them the ability to better cope with negative experiences when they arise. But what is the best way to go about that and how can you tell when employees are in need of help? The hosts talk with Dr. Saba Ali from the University of Iowa College of Education about how employers can best support their employees as we transition into the winter months.
Other Resources
Interested in offering manager-focused workplace mental health training? Check out the Mental Health Awareness Training one-pager to learn more about this customizable training. The MHAT is a 3-hour training program that has been implemented and evaluated in a variety of work contexts, from office environments and secondary education to power plants and field settings. The MHAT is designed to provide managers with the knowledge, confidence, and skills to successfully support employee mental health and wellbeing. This program was developed in partnership between the University of Ottawa Telfer School of Management and the Oregon Healthy Workforce Center.
Mental Wellness at Work: A Q&A. Did you know that NIOSH funds a Center of Excellence in Total Worker Health (TWH) dedicated exclusively to mental health? Learn more about the Johns Hopkins Psychosocial, Organizational and Environmental Total Worker Health Center in Mental Health (POE Center) on this page, where center personnel discuss supporting mental health across different work sectors, how the POE Center came together, and why the Center’s name references Edgar Allan Poe.
Check out Mental Health Success at Turner Construction for a 10-minute video discussing the partnership between the Healthier Workforce Center of the Midwest and Turner Construction, the general contractor for a Facebook data center. In response to COVID-19, Turner established mental health and wellness programs for their worksite. In collaboration with researchers from Washington University at St. Louis, Turner implemented mental health resources, raised awareness, and de-stigmatized the use of mental health resources. Since implementation began, workers have not only utilized the resources to improve their own mental health, but impacted the mental health of their colleagues as well.
Addressing Worker Mental Health: The Healthy Workplace Campaign is a 1-hr webinar from CPH-NEW on the link between work, stress, health, and interventions to improve worker well-being. Marnie Dobson, Ph.D. presents research and tools from the Healthy Work Campaign that can be used to improve the health and productivity of working people. In 2016, a poll by the American Psychological Association reported that one out of 3 workers typically feel tense or stressed out during the workday, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only increased the stressors experienced by most workers. There is strong evidence that workplace psychosocial stress contributes to poor mental health and mental illness.
Mental Health Policies in the Workplace in a 21-minute webinar from the Healthier Workforce Center of the Midwest that explores how workplace policies are the first step for an employer to begin addressing mental health. In addition, workplace guidelines can be used to improve employees’ mental health and provide a plan for action. In this webinar, learn ways for employers to implement programs and policies that lead to a healthier workplace for employees at all levels of an organization.
Resiliency and Mental Wellness in the Workplace is a 1-hr webinar from Center for Health, Work & Environment. In this webinar, Dr. Chad Morris, the Director of the University of Colorado- Behavioral Health & Wellness Program, shares proven strategies for supporting whole health, with a focus on mental wellness. He describes a parallel process by which leaders and workers can attend to their own well-being and, at the same time, assist colleagues who may be struggling with or at risk for mental health issues.
The State of Workplace Mental Health: New Directions for Total Worker Health® 2023 is a 1-hr webinar from Center for Health, Work & Environment. When employers support mental well-being, workers are healthier and more successful and lead better lives. Unfortunately, many employees struggle with mental health and feel like they aren’t receiving enough support from their organization. While mental health challenges in the workplace can feel pervasive, there are many ways employers can support their team members. Join Health Links™, along with local and national experts, to learn more about how to support mental well-being at your workplace. In this webinar, you will learn: • The state of workplace mental health in 2022/2023 • Best practices from small and large employers who focus on workplace mental health • How the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) community is impacted by workplace mental health.
Ethics, Mental Health, and the Future of Work from the Center for Health, Work & Environment is an 83-minute webinar that explores the intersection of ethics and the future of work. This webinar is focused on on ethical challenges centered around the employer’s culpability in contributing to and in some cases, causing the mental health problems of workers. A panel of experts discuss the employers’ role in prevention of workplace mental health problems and some ethical strategies for connecting workers to company and community mental health resources.
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Featured Resources
Suicide Prevention in the Workplace (Colorado focus). In this 1-hour self-paced course from Center for Health, Work & Environment, you'll learn how to recognize the warning signs and risk factors of suicide in the workplace, and how to appropriately follow-up when there are concerns. Course fee for 6 months is $25. SHRM and CHES continuing education credits are available.
Suicide Prevention Campaign for the Workplace from the Healthier Workforce Center of the Midwest offers several Toolbox Talks intended to start conversation on relevant topics: Suicide and the Workplace, Reduce the Stigma, Recognizing Warning Signs, Starting a Conversation. A facilitator's guide is included with information on how to deliver these toolbox talks to employees. Other materials include a breakroom poster, stickers, and takeaway sheets. An video introducing the campaign and the available materials is available here.
Work-Related Factors Impacting Suicide is a 10-minute podcast from the Healthier Workforce Center of the Midwest's Workplace Matters series. This episode of Workplace Matters looks at the research of the Healthier Workforce Center's Dr. Jon Davis. Jon utilized the National Violent Death Reporting System to look specifically at work-related suicides. The findings provide insight into why work-related suicides happen and how the workplace can make a positive impact.
Other Resources
Mental Health and Suicide Prevention In Construction is a 20-minute podcast from the Oregon Healthy Workforce Center focusing on suicide rates in the construction industry. The suicide rate for men in construction and extraction occupations was almost twice the total suicide rate for civilian working men (16-64 years old) in 2016 across 32 states and 5 times greater than the rate for all fatal work-related injuries in the construction industry in 2018. The suicide rate in working age adults has increased 40% across 2 decades and is the 10th leading cause of death overall in the the United States. On this episode, the hosts interview Steven Frost, Site Safety, Health and Environment Manager for a General Contractor, which is one of the largest construction firms in Portland.
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Featured Resources
The Healthy Work Campaign is a public health campaign focused on raising awareness in the U.S. about the health impacts of work stress on working people. The campaign also focuses on the positive actions individuals and organizations throughout the U.S. can take to advance. The Healthy Work Campaign offers resources for employers such as surveys, tools, and strategies to improve workplace well-being.
Job Stress: A Continuing Education Program for Today’s Nurse - Training Modules is a free resource offered by CPH-NEW that meets the requirements of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing at 244 CMR 5.00 for 4 contact hours. The program consists of four learning modules, each 15-30 minutes in length, plus case studies and reference material. Module topics include nursing job stress, stressors in the healthcare workplace, the impact of job stress, and stress prevention and coping strategies.
Stress@Work (CPH-NEW) is a website is designed to help employers and employee health program planners understand how to reduce workplace stressors. Stress@Work is a large body of resources, including information for employers on how to control job stress, understanding the health and financial impact of job stress, and job stress resources, including fact sheets, surveys, presentation materials, and more.
Stress Management - Toolbox Talk. This toolbox talk from Center for Work, Health, & Well-being is designed for a safety manager/foreman to deliver to workers. It covers what stress is, its threats to health and happiness, sources of job stress, and solutions.
Stress: Toolbox Talks from the Healthier Workforce Center of the Midwest offers positive ways to manage stress and links to resources for those whose stress becomes overwhelming. This toolbox also includes questions for managers or employers to lead a discussion group regarding stress.
Other Resources
Stress is a short video series from the Healthier Workforce Center of the Midwest that discusses stress from the view of researchers and industry leaders.
- Part I (2 minutes): Dr. John Howard, Director of the CDC National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, shares his perspective on stress and its role in the workplace for the development of illness.
- Part II (5 minutes): In this follow-up video, industry leaders frame stress as a workplace hazard and offer ways employers can minimize stressors in the workplace to maximize employee health, safety and well-being.
Stress Management and Resilience in the Workplace is a 48-minute webinar from Center for Health, Work & Environment that discusses stress as the number one challenge employees face. This webinar will help attendees pinpoint the biggest sources of stress and provide three stress reduction strategies to use in the workplace.
