Chapter 7: Mental Health and Well-being at Work

Mental health and well-being has become an increasingly important issue across countries and within organisations. Over 4.4% (300 million) of the world’s population suffer from a mental illness such as depression. Whilst support for managing mental health issues is growing, it depends entirely on location. Mental health support organisations are present in only 49% of low-income countries, compared with 83% of high-income countries (Roberts, 2018). The inclusion of mental health in the Sustainable Development Agenda adopted at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015 has shown that world leaders recognise the promotion of mental health and well-being as a world priority (World Health Organisation, 2018). Organisations that promote mental health and well-being encourage productivity and positive workplace cultures. Providing employees with tools that support mental health not only assists their individual well-being but also the effectiveness of the organisation. Employees are healthier, motivated and engaged, resulting in a more productive workforce. This chapter will discuss the concepts regarding mental health, in the context of importance of well-being and possible solutions to support the mental health of employees. To explore these issues in action, a detailed example of nurses and the healthcare sector is given in the second half of the chapter.