The association between supervisor mental health training and workplace mental health stigma

Abstract

Mental health disorders (MHD) are a major cause of human suffering, lost productivity, workplace disability, and economic loss throughout the industrialized world. They can affect people’s thoughts, behaviours, and feelings, as well as disrupt an individual’s life, and create many functional challenges. It is expected that MHD will affect every Canadian at some point in their lifetime, whether directly by personally experiencing a MHD, or indirectly through a family member, friend, or colleague.1 One of the major factors contributing to mental health is the environment that the individual is exposed to, which can precipitate the onset or reoccurrence of a MHD. One of the environments that over 65% of the population interacts with is the workplace,2 and although it should contribute positively to one’s mental health, there are significant workplace challenges experienced by people with MHDs.3 Specifically, stigma toward employees with MHD can increase the effects these disorders have on employees.4 When left unaddressed, MHD can account for high unemployment rates, as well as significant financial impacts to the government, employer, and worker through unemployment benefits, disability insurance, welfare programs, and health care costs.1,5–7 In addition to the high external costs, MHD can have a significant internal effect on productivity within the workplace through both presenteeism and absenteeism.