Mental health in the workplace
Workplaces play a dual role in the area of mental health. On the one hand, they can be a stressful environment that contributes to mental health problems among workers. On the other hand, they can play an important part in helping to detect and manage mental health problems when they arise among workers, and in ensuring the healthy recovery and return of workers who are off work due to a mental health issue. IWH research in this area helps paint a clearer picture of the prevalence of mental health problems among workers, the types of labour force and workplace factors that may contribute to poor mental health, and the workplace-based and system prevention efforts that can help improve the mental health of workers and ensure they have the proper supports when needed.
Featured
At Work article
Injured workers face mental health challenges beyond diagnosable conditions
Workers with a work-related physical injury that takes them off the job can have a wide range of mental health experiences, beyond diagnosable conditions. That’s according to an IWH study which also found that differences in injured workers’ mental health were linked to return-to-work outcomes.
Published: April 9, 2025
At Work article
How employers are improving RTW outcomes for public safety workers with PSTI
Public safety employers face a range of challenges when supporting workers to return to work after experiencing a post-traumatic stress injury. Employers have developed strategies to face these challenges, as outlined in a recent IWH Speaker Series presentation.
Published: March 12, 2025
Systematic Review
Systematic Review
Systematic review of intervention practices for depression in the workplace
Depression in the workplace is widespread, and workplaces feel its financial pinch in the form of absenteeism and presenteeism. Yet workplace programs that specifically target depression remain uncommon, perhaps because little information is available on the effectiveness of these programs when it comes to improving outcomes of importance to employers. This systematic review set out to provide such information and its results are included in this report.
Published: February 2011
Issue Briefing
Unemployment and mental health
Researchers have been looking at how unemployment affects mental health since the Great Depression of the 1930s, if not earlier. This body of research has shown that becoming unemployed has a negative impact on mental health. Also, people with mental health problems are more likely than others to become unemployed. This Issue Briefing summarizes the key research behind these findings and explores the implications for policy-makers and health and safety service providers.
Published: August 2009
At Work article
At Work article
Mental health and injured workers: Depressive symptoms linked to delayed work-returns
New research from the Institute for Work & Health indicates that depressive symptoms are pervasive among workers disabled by musculoskeletal disorders. For those whose symptoms persist, sustainable work-returns are less likely, and treatment may be needed to improve recovery.
Published: April 2009
Research Highlights
Research Highlights
Heavy workloads linked to mental health, MSD treatment in health-care workers
What worker or workplace factors are linked to musculoskeletal or mental health problems among nurses and support staff? This study of 21,000 health-care workers points to heavy workloads among the most important factors.
Published: January 2009
At Work article
At Work article
Mental health issues and medication use in injured workers
For some injured workers, their experiences dealing with a lost-time claim have led to mental health problems or issues with medication use. As part of their study, IWH researchers looked more closely at these two areas
Published: April 2008
Research Highlights
Research Highlights
Whiplash after traffic accidents can lead to depression
Symptoms of depression appear to be relatively common after whiplash injury. They occur soon after the incident and can be persistent, especially if patients have a history of depressive symptoms.
Published: January 2007
Research Highlights
Research Highlights
Depression, poor physical health increase injured workers’ disability days
Poor physical health and more depressed mood significantly increased the total number of days that workers received compensation benefits, study finds.
Published: January 2006
Project
Project
Validation study of Occupational Stress Injury Resiliency Tool
This project will assess the validity and the performance of the Occupational Stress Injury Resilience tool—created to assess first responders’ occupational stress injury risks.
Status: Ongoing
Project
Project
Effectiveness of interventions to address depression in the workplace: a systematic review
Status: Completed 2011
Project
Project
Assessing the psychosocial work environment in British Columbia to inform prevention activities
WorkSafeBC is in the initial stages of developing and implementing an Enterprise Mental Health Strategy. As part of its development and evaluation efforts, this project will fill knowledge gaps in the understanding of the psychosocial work environment in British Columbia, as well as workers' awareness of its impact as a workplace hazard.
Status: Ongoing