How do supervisors perceive and manage employee mental health issues in their workplaces?

Abstract

This study emphasizes the salience of stigma and mental health issues for the supervisor's role and illustrates the ways in which these issues intersect with the work of supervisors. It points to the need for future research and training in areas such as balancing privacy and supports, tailoring disclosure processes to suit individuals and workplaces, and managing self-care in the workplace.

Social stigma is an underestimated contributing factor to unemployment in people with mental illness or mental health issues: position paper and future directions

“…More research is needed on the knowledge, attitudes and behavior of workplace stakeholders and on what they need to adequately support rather than exclude people with MI/MHI in the work environment. For instance, supervisors may lack knowledge of how to handle mental health issues and appropriately support workers with MI/MHI [30]. Although there is some evidence that interventions improving public knowledge about mental illness can be effective in reducing stigma [31], much less is known about how to improve employers' knowledge and attitudes.…”

Work-focused therapy for common mental disorders: A naturalistic study comparing an intervention group with a waitlist control group

“…Graded activity and adjustments at work were planned to enhance self-efficacy and help patients cope with setbacks during the reintegration process. A plan for communication at work was made, since stigma associated with mental illness frequently represents a barrier to receiving support from employers and colleagues when returning to work [3,46].…”

Educating business students to manage for mental health

“…Worline and Dutton, 2017); ethical issues such as confidentiality and the nature and role of professional boundaries when responding to employee mental health concerns (e.g. Kirsh et al , 2018); self-compassion as an important self-care skill (Kirsh et al , 2018) that facilitates greater compassion for others (Neff, 2011); workplace factors that can influence mental health (Grawitch et al , 2015; Samra, 2017); processes for designing, implementing, assessing and modifying organisational structures and processes in support of psychologically healthy workplaces (CSA & BNQ, 2013; Martin et al , 2016); leadership and managerial skills that support work-related psychological health (e.g. Nielsen, 2014; St-Hilaire et al , 2018); and positive approaches to promoting workplace psychological health and wellness (e.g.…”

“…ethical issues such as confidentiality and the nature and role of professional boundaries when responding to employee mental health concerns (e.g. Kirsh et al , 2018);…”

“…However, in addition to primary prevention of work-related risks for mental health concerns, the workplace is also an important site for early identification and intervention relative to “context free” (Warr, 1987) or “life in general” mental health difficulties, regardless of the underlying origins or causes of these (LaMontagne et al , 2014; Kelloway, 2017). Although many managers report no previous training on how to have mental health conversations with employees (Shann et al , 2014; Thorpe and Chénier, 2011) and may struggle to describe what health actually means (Dickson-Swift et al , 2014), those in supervisory roles see employee mental health as a relevant part of their job (Kirsh et al , 2018). Although workplace managers are not trained, qualified or competent to diagnose or treat mental health concerns, they can assist by serving as conduits for mental health-related information, by recognising potential mental health concerns, and by connecting employees with appropriate resources such as employee assistance programmes or other forms of professional support.…”