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REVIEW article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Occupational Health and Safety
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1430540
This article is part of the Research Topic Innovative Prevention Strategies for Occupational Health Hazards View all 8 articles

A Mentally Health Framework to Guide Employers and Policy Makers

Provisionally accepted
Mark Deady Mark Deady 1*Samineh Sanatkar Samineh Sanatkar 1Leona Tan Leona Tan 1Nick Glozier Nick Glozier 2Aimee Gayed Aimee Gayed 1Katherine Petrie Katherine Petrie 1Vita Ligaya Dalgaard Vita Ligaya Dalgaard 3Elizabeth Stratton Elizabeth Stratton 2Anthony D. Lamontagne Anthony D. Lamontagne 4Samuel B. Harvey Samuel B. Harvey 1
  • 1 Black Dog Institute, University of New South Wales, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
  • 2 The University of Sydney, Darlington, New South Wales, Australia
  • 3 Aarhus University, Aarhus, Central Denmark Region, Denmark
  • 4 Deakin University, Geelong, Australia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Mental health problems among the working population represent a growing concern with huge impacts on individuals, organisations, compensation authorities, and social welfare systems. The workplace presents both psychosocial risks and unique opportunities for intervention. Although there has been rapid expansion of workplace mental health interventions over recent decades, clear direction around appropriate, evidence-based action remains limited. While numerous workplace mental health models have been proposed to guide intervention, general models often fail to adequately consider both the evidence base and where best-practice principles alone inform action. Further, recommendations need to be updated as new discoveries occur. We seek to update the Framework for Mentally Healthy Workplaces based on new evidence of intervention effectiveness while also incorporating evidence-based principles. The updated model also integrates concepts from existing alternate models to present a comprehensive overview of strategies designed to enhance wellbeing, minimise harm, and facilitate recovery. Examples of available evidence and obstacles to implementation are discussed. The Framework is designed to support employers and managers in determining which strategies to apply and to guide future avenues of research.

    Keywords: work stress, Occupational mental health, Return to Work, Psychological hazards, Employee wellbeing, intervention, Mental Health, Workplace

    Received: 10 May 2024; Accepted: 02 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Deady, Sanatkar, Tan, Glozier, Gayed, Petrie, Dalgaard, Stratton, Lamontagne and Harvey. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Mark Deady, Black Dog Institute, University of New South Wales, Randwick, NSW 2031, New South Wales, Australia

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.