E-Books: Mental health at work seriesHSSE WORLD

Workplace health and safety programs and initiatives have traditionally focused on physical health and the prevention of accidents, illnesses, and injuries. Increasingly, however, organizations realize the importance of promoting the total well-being – physical, psychosocial, and mental health – of their workers, and for good reason. Mental health claims are the fastest-growing category of disability costs workplace, and represent a significant health problem in workplaces across all sectors.

Raise awareness and demonstrate your commitment to creating a psychologically safe and healthy workplace by Mental health at work series

Mental health at work series…From defining to solving the problem – Solving the problem – Preventing stress in the workplace

The series entitled “Mental Health at Work… From Defining to Solving the Problem” is published by the Chair in Occupational Health and Safety Management at Université Laval, Québec, Canada. This series is intended for persons who are involved in occupational health and safety (OHS) and especially mental health at work.

the series included 3 booklets:

Booklet 1:Scope of the Problem – How Workplace Stress is Shown
Booklet 2: What Causes the Problem – The Sources of Workplace Stress
Booklet 3: Solving the Problem – Preventing Stress in the Workplace

The Contents Mental health at work series

Booklet 1:Scope of the Problem – How Workplace Stress is Shown

Work Define us: Work is a very important part of our lives. Have you ever noticed that when people meet someone for the first time, once they have introduced themselves, they usually ask the other person, what he does for a living? It’s easy to understand why. One-third of our life is spent at work, and this does not even count the time we spend commuting, working overtime, and thinking about work after we go home.
Work is more than just a way to support oneself financially. It has become a psychological necessity: it is through work that we can express our potential, demonstrate our skills, excel, define our identity and do something useful for ourselves and for others. Work is also a chance to establish relationships and these relationships — with supervisors and colleagues — are what generally determines the atmosphere at work.

Booklet 2: What Causes the Problem – The Sources of Workplace Stress

Sources of work-related MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS: Determining the causes of work-related mental health problems is the first step in resolving them. It enables us to determine where – and especially how – to act in order to maintain not only the health of individuals but also the health of organizations.
According to Jean-Pierre Brun, Program Director of the Chair in Occupational Health and Safety Management at Université Laval
(Canada), work-related mental health problems may be caused by events stemming from the private life of the individual, the organization where he works, or the society in which he evolves.

Booklet 3: Solving the Problem – Preventing Stress in the Workplace

Three levels of action to PREVENT work-related MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS: A variety of strategies may be used to prevent work-related stress and mental health problems.
An organization that wants to take action may do so at three different levels: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Strategies at the primary level directly address the causes of workplace stress. They aim to eradicate or reduce the causes of stress within the organization in order to lessen its negative effects on the mental health of individuals. Secondary and tertiary strategies mainly deal with the consequences rather than the causes of workplace stress.
Secondary prevention acts on personal factors and helps workers adapt better to their work environment, while tertiary prevention aims to reduce the suffering of individuals who have work-related mental health problems.