WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE?

When we talk about mental health in the workplace, we're looking at how our working environments affect us - either positively or negatively - as well as the effect our mental health has on our ability to do our jobs.

Work can make us feel good about ourselves and give us a sense of purpose, which helps to protect and improve our mental health. On the other hand, factors like job stress, bullying or discrimination can trigger a mental health condition or cause an existing condition to worsen.

Some people's experience of a mental health condition will have  no direct connection with their work - they might have been managing their condition for a while, for example, while working in different jobs. Equally, personal or relationship issues might result in someone developing a mental health condition, regardless of what's going on at work.

But whatever the factors contributing to someone developing a mental health condition, workplaces can play a key role by being flexible, providing support, and creating an environment where people feel comfortable raising their concerns and reaching out when they need it.