Mental health in the workplace: Towards evidence-based practice.

Abstract

I come from a long line of short-lived men. Although most of the women in my family live into their late 80s and 90s, the men mostly die before the age of 65. Almost invariably, consistent with heart disease being the leading cause of death in Nova Scotia (Statistics Canada, 2004), they die of coronary heart disease. I have the advantage, however, of being represented by a union and working for an employer that provides a comprehensive list of health care benefits. If, or when, my time comes to have a cardiac incident I know that my health care will be paid for, and that I will have access to every form of treatment and rehabilitation required. Moreover, I will use the resources without second thought and can reasonably expect that my colleagues and employers will support me in my journey back to health.The prevalence rate for depression in Nova Scotia is also high (Latham, 2012). If I develop symptoms of depression, once again my employer and union are there for me with a comprehensive set of benefits that includes the availability of an employee assistance program (EAP), provisions for short- and long-term disability leave if required and, of course, payment for psychological services. In this case, however, if I am like most employees I will not access these services. When it comes to mental health issues, the resources provided by organizations are typically underutilized (Linnan et al., 2008; Reynolds & Lehman, 2003). EAP programs, for example, are often underaccessed and underutilized (Canadian Medical Association, 2013). Moreover, the people who could often benefit the most from these resources are also the least likely to use them (Hunt & Eisenberg, 2010; Linnan et al., 2008).Dimoff and Kelloway (in press) suggested several potential reasons for this underutilization of organizational resources: (a) individuals may not recognize that they require a program, service, or resource; (b) individuals may not be aware of what resources are available; or (c) individuals may not use available resources because of other concerns or fears (e.g., stigma). There are signs that at least some of these conditions are changing and, indeed, I go as far as to claim that we currently have an unprecedented opportunity to substantially change the mental health of Canadians for the better. A variety of policy and economic factors have resulted in a perfect that is changing the organizational landscape with regard to mental health issues. In short, organizations in Canada are getting involved with mental issues to an unprecedented extent and this movement creates both an opportunity and a challenge for psychology as a profession.The Perfect StormOn a policy front, the storm has been brewing for a considerable time. Senator Michael Kirby began a series of investigations into Canadian health care with his initial report on the state of the health care system (Parliament of Canada, 2002). A subsequent report focused more specifically on mental health and mental health care in Canada (Parliament of Canada, 2006). Ultimately this work led to the creation of the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC). Now in its second funding mandate the MHCC has focused on workplace mental health and with their corporate partners (e.g., the Bell Let's Talk campaign) has done much to identify workplace mental health as an area ripe for intervention.In 2013, the MHCC partnered with the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) to issue CSA Z1003-a Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (Canadian Standards Association, 2013). This is a voluntary management standard that provides guidance to organizations on how to develop a workplace mental health program-that is, the standard identifies what the authors believe are the core elements of such a program and the key considerations in implementing such a program. The MHCC has just completed the case study project in which 40 Canadian organizations agreed to serve as models during the implementation of the standard and to provide data on the process of implementing workplace mental health programs. …