Occupational health in mental health services: a qualitative study

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore occupational health (OH) clinicians’ perspectives on employee mental health in the mental health workplace in the English National Health Service. Design/methodology/approach Thematic analysis of data from seven semi-structured interviews is performed in this paper. Findings Three themes emerged under the core theme of “Situating OH services”: “the Uniqueness of the mental health service setting”, “the Limitations of OH services” and “the Meaning of mental health at work”. An important finding came from the first theme that management referrals in mental health may be due to disputes about workers’ fitness to face violence and aggression, a common feature of their working environment. Research limitations/implications This was a small scale study of a previously unresearched population. Practical implications These findings should be used to refine and standardise OH provision for mental healthcare workers, with a particular focus on exposure to violence and workers’ potential “lived experience” of mental illness as features of the mental health care workplace. Originality/value This is the first study to explore OH clinicians’ perspectives on the mental health service working environment.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Occupational Stress in Restaurant Work: A Qualitative Study

“…Various studies have linked occupational stress in the food service industry to excessive workloads, lack of job control, and variable pay and schedules [ 13 , 14 , 15 ]. With mass layoffs and increased sense of insecurity among employees, several studies have shown that the pandemic is exacerbating these stressors [ 2 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Seventy-five percent of frontline workers reported that the pandemic has negatively impacted their mental health and as the economy slowly reopens, occupational stress among frontline workers in the restaurant industry continues to grow [ 19 , 20 ].…”