Promote / Prevent / Resolve

Workplaces need optimum mental health to be productive. When you think about it (there it is – the most important of mental capacities – thinking) unless people are able to think clearly, regulate their emotions, communicate effectively and collaborate with others – they are not likely to perform well. Conversely, work helps us develop and improve our mental health. Good work, that is. Our workplaces need good leadership to balance all the work factors in such a way that they don’t become mental health hazards.

The most widely adopted integrated approach to developing a mentally healthy workplace has three strands:

  • promote mental health by developing the positive aspects of work and building engaging and cohesive workplaces
  • protect mental health by reducing work–related risk factors
  • address mental health problems at work, regardless of cause.

This framework put forward by Professor Anthony LaMontange and his team has been adopted in many jurisdictions promoting healthy workplaces. One of the them is the Victorian Public Service Mental Health and Wellbeing Charter. It is a great example of a framework underpinning many activities that help creating mentally healthy workplaces.

  • promoting positive mental wellbeing includes:
    • Leaders becoming aware of their role in creating supportive and psychologically safe organisational cultures
    • Proactively promoting a culture of support, empathy and respect
    • Raising awareness of mental health and wellbeing to reduce stigma and discrimination
    • Promoting trust-based interpersonal connections and team collaboration marked by fairness and inclusiveness.
  • preventing mental injury and illness means:
    • Designing jobs and managing all the work activities to make sure work doesn’t cause harm to people’s mental healthy and wellbeing
    • Balancing work demands and resources well
    • Making sure everyone’s roles are clear and their expectations are well communicated, and feedback provided
    • Matching employee capabilities with job requirements
    • Communicating fully and consulting with employees about changes
    • Acknowledging people’s contributions and recognising work well done
    • Paying attention to people’s career development
    • Allowing some control or discretion over team members’ work
    • Actively promoting and monitoring civility and respect at work at all times
    • Managing cumulative and vicarious exposure to trauma
    • Promoting a healthy, positive work-home balance.
  • addressing mental health issues where they arise and taking action to support recovery – remaining at work or RTW.
    • Providing systematic return to work process
    • Actively supporting work adjustments
    • Taking steps to resolve issues to enable remaining at work or resuming work.

Our services provide organisations with resources in each of these steps through:

  • Strategies - Strategies, policy frameworks, systems and tools
  • Skills - Skills development at all levels - boards, executive leadership, managers and staff
  • Support - Support in implementing actions through coaching and consulting

References:
1. LaMontagne, A.D., Martin, A., Page, K.M. et al. Workplace mental health: developing an integrated intervention approach. BMC Psychiatry 14, 131 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-14-131
2. Mental Health and Wellbeing Charter for Victoria Public Sector: https://vpsc.vic.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Mental-Health-and-Wellbeing-Charter-Leading-the-Way.pdf