A Pragmatic Integrated Approach to Workplace Mental Health in Canada
Mental health problems have a powerful and expanding impact in the workplace. As their burden on the public and private sectors in Canada increases, the management of workplace mental health issues will be of increasing importance. Yet, strategies for the assessment, prevention and treatment of mental health problems in the workplace are underdeveloped and underused. The gap between the need for and use of effective models can be partially explained by limited access to relevant knowledge. While there is considerable literature on the prevalence and nature of mental health problems in the workplace, practical solutions to these problems are harder to identify.
In order to foster a pragmatic integrated approach to workplace mental health in Canada, the Workforce Advisory Committee (WAC) of the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) collaborated with the Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction (CARMHA) at Simon Fraser University to examine the relevant scientific and ‘grey’ literature on approaches to improving the mental health of employees.
On the basis of this review, Mental Health Commission of Canada and CARMHA have issued three companion documents:
- A report reviewing select models for improving workplace mental health and providing recommendations for an integrated approach
- An employer’s guide to improving mental health care in the workplace
- A plan for knowledge exchange to maximize dissemination and utilization of the findings and reports
Project Lead(s):
Merv Gilbert
Partners:
Workforce Advisory Committee, Mental Health Commission of Canada
Funding:
Workforce Advisory Committee, Mental Health Commission of Canada
Resources:
Contact Info:
Please contact CARMHA for more information
2012