workplace mental health: integrating science and practice · integrating science and practice dr...

McCaughey VicHealth Centre for Community Wellbeing


Workplace Mental Health:

Integrating Science and Practice Dr Kathryn Page MAPS

Work, Health and Wellbeing Program

University of Melbourne

27th November 2013

Research Fellow and Organisational Psychologist

McCaughey VicHealth Centre for Community Wellbeing McCaughey VicHealth Centre for Community Wellbeing

Tony LaMontagne, Allison Milner, and Irina Tchernitskaia (University

of Melbourne).

Andrew Noblet, Amanda Allisey, Stacey Cotton (Deakin University)

Angela Martin (UTas), Nicki Reavley, Tony Jorm (UoM)

Graham Wilson, Craig van Dugteren (Victoria Police)

Deborah Kennedy, Kelly Tapley, Lucy Taylor (SuperFriend)

Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research (ISCRR)

and WorkSafe Victoria

The Victorian Health Promotion Foundation

The National Health and Medical Research Council Capacity

Building Grant in Population Health (grant number 546248)

Acknowledgments



1. Identify some general statistics and information that can be used to support a business case for workplace mental health in your organisation/ industry

2. Specify the key organisational drivers of workplace stress

3. Explain the role leaders play in preventing workplace stress

4. Outline the behaviours managers need to demonstrate in order to better manage employee wellbeing

5. Feel encouraged to try one new thing in your organsiation to prevent workplace stress.

Expected outcomes


Workplace mental

health in Australia

The role of leaders

A Case Study

Resources

Road Map


Workplace mental

health in Australia

Key prevention strategies

A Case Study

Resources

Road Map


An integrated approach to workplace

mental health

Premises:

1. Mental health problems prevalent in working populations

2. Some mental health problems attributable to working conditions


Premise 1

~1 in 5 Australians will have a mental illness in their lives

• Depression and anxiety most common

• Depression and anxiety - leading cause of non-fatal burden of disease

2007 Australian National Survey of Mental Health & Wellbeing

• 14.7 % of workers - history of MDE

• ~1.5 million affected workers

• 12% of men and 18% of women

As much as 20% of working age population affected by a

mental health problem (OECD 2012)



mental health

Premises:

1. Mental health problems prevalent in working populations

2. Some mental health problems attributable to working conditions


Premise 2

• Working conditions influence mental health - Positive and negative

• Most prominent are psychosocial work stressors

• Exposure to work stressors predicts

mental health problems, even after accounting for other known risk and protective factors

• Exposure to psychosocial stressors at work is common in the working population, translating to large preventable illness burdens

Job control Job demands

Job insecurity Social

support

Long working hours

Bulling

ERI Org injustice



mental health

Therefore:

• Workplace mental health interventions, to realise the greatest population health benefits, need to:

– Protect mental health by reducing work–related risk factors for mental health problems (reduce the negative)

– Promote mental health by developing the positive aspects of work as well as worker strengths and positive capacities (promote the positive)

– Address mental health problems among working people regardless of cause


Cost of ‘stress claims’

11

The average cost of stress-related injuries across the scheme in Victoria is approx $74,000 per case (WorkSafe Victoria).

5% of claims across Australia are due to mental stress (SWA, 2009); 11% of claims (5 days +) are due to mental stress (conservative figures)

Claims for mental disorders involve extended periods of work absence; 16 % of such mental stress claims resulted in the employee being absent

from work for 52 weeks or more (SWA, 2006)


Broader costs of mental illness at work

12

Stress-related Depression:

$730m a year

Job related mental illness:

average 10.8 weeks off a

year

Job Strain: 13% & 17% of

depression in men & women

respectively

Depression: 40% lower

productivity


Workplace mental

health in Australia


A Case Study

Resources

Road Map


Levels of intervention

Primary Prevention (prevention, proactive) Aims to reduce potential risk factors and increase protective factors. i.e., eliminating stressful working condition, improving positive mental health.

Secondary Prevention (Ameliorative, remedial) To equip people with the knowledge, skills and resources to cope with stressful conditions, or to seek help for mental distress or physical health.

Tertiary Prevention (Reactive) To treat, compensate and rehabilitate employees with enduring stress-related symptoms/mental and physical conditions.

Leadership


Five Practical Interventions Strategies

Improving health and wellbeing at work

1. Assess work environments for impact on

WB

2. Better diagnosis and

remediation of underlying

work-related stress

3. Develop more

sophisticated ways of flexible

working

4. Improve managerial

competence in providing healthy

workplaces

5. Raise the profile of

mental health & WB at work

15

Dewe, P. & Kompier, M. Foresight Mental Capital and Wellbeing Project. Wellbeing and work: Future challenges. The Government Office for Science, London, 2008


Five Practical Interventions Strategies

Improving health and wellbeing at work

1. Assess work environments for impact on

WB

2. Better diagnosis and

remediation of underlying

work-related stress

3. Develop more

sophisticated ways of flexible

working

4. Improve managerial

competence in providing healthy

workplaces

5. Raise the profile of

mental health & WB at work

16

Dewe, P. & Kompier, M. Foresight Mental Capital and Wellbeing Project. Wellbeing and work: Future challenges. The Government Office for Science, London, 2008


Leaders play a fundamental role in preventing

job stress and promoting employee wellbeing

The Health and Safety Executive in the UK has

outlined some ‘core’ leadership behaviours

involved in managing workplace stress.

What are some behaviours

required of leaders?

McCaughey VicHealth Centre for Community Wellbeing 18

Manage emotions and have integrity

This involves:

• Being respectful and honest to employees

• Behaving consistently and calmly around the team

• Being thoughtful in managing others and delegating

Manage and communicate existing and future work

This involves:

• Monitoring and reviewing existing work

• Allowing future prioritisation and planning

• Dealing with problems promptly, rationally and responsibly

• Listening to, meeting and consulting with the team, providing employees with direction, autonomy and development opportunities

Leaders need to…

McCaughey VicHealth Centre for Community Wellbeing 19

Manage the individual within the team

This involves:

• Being available to talk to personally • Seeking to understand each individual

in the team in terms of their health and satisfaction, motivation, point of view and life outside work

Manage difficult situations

This involves: • Dealing with conflicts decisively,

promptly and objectively • Seeking advice when necessary from

managers, HR and Occupational Health

• Having a supportive and responsible approach to issues and incidents in the team

They also need to….


Victoria Police: Program Logic

Quantity of work

Administration/paper

work

Inadequate feedback

Lack of access to senior

members

Inconsistent advice

Limited access to

computers

Unworkable forms/

systems.

Mentor-mentee “corro” shifts

Sergeant/senior constable training in supportive management & group

coaching

Primary: • Improved supervisor

support • Improved job control • Reduced job strain

Secondary • Reduced burnout • Greater engagement • Increased job

satisfaction

Prioritised Needs Strategies

Outcomes

New workload / brief management system

Tailor to context


Victoria Police: Program design

Inspectors nominate 5-10 prospective internal coaches

TTT workshop for coaches (coaching skills training and

leadership practices)

Group level 360 for coachees

Workshop – feedback, goals and

skills Coaching session 1

Coaching session 2

Coaching session 3

Coaching session 4 Wrap up and

reflection on key learning's

Repeat 360

Build capacity


Boral- Dowell


Boral- Dowell: Program Logic

Mental health literacy

Little control in how work is

done

Inconsistent and limited

communication,

particularly about change

Limited supervisor support

Lack of reward and

recognition

Job stress

Low morale

Beyondblue training for general staff and managers

Management skill development workshop and

coaching

Decreased stigma around

mental health issues

Improved manager

communication

Improved supervisor support

Improved morale

Job demand and control can

be improved indirectly

through changes in

communication, supervisor

support

Prioritised Needs Strategies

Outcomes

‘Tool box’ activities for general staff and

management


Workplace mental

health in Australia


A Case Study

Resources

Road Map


Resources

• HSE stress management competency indicator (for managers) – www.hse.gov.uk

• Workplace Prevention of Mental Health Problems, Guidelines for Organisations (2013):

• www.prevention.workplace-mentalhealth.net.au

• Developed using Delphi consensus method with managers, workers, and health professionals

• Ten elements

http://www.prevention.workplace-mentalhealth.net.au/http://www.prevention.workplace-mentalhealth.net.au/http://www.prevention.workplace-mentalhealth.net.au/


Resources

VicHealth-produced infographic on Reducing Stress in the Workplace (2013), featuring LaMontagne & Noblet (7 mins)

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAw9KV7b15g

Reducing Stress in the Workplace (2012):

• http://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/workplace

Guidelines for RTW from a Mental Illness (2011):

• http://www.mhfa.com.au/

Further resources at end of slides

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAw9KV7b15ghttp://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/workplacehttp://www.mhfa.com.au/


Resources

• LaMontagne AD and Keegel T (2012): Reducing Stress in the Workplace: An Evidence Review, Full Report. Melbourne: Victorian Heath Promotion Foundation (VicHealth), 52 pages. See http://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/workplace

– Co-published with 20-page plain language summary version

• Reducing Stress in the Workplace, an “Infographic” produced by VicHealth (7 minutes), see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAw9KV7b15g

• VicHealth Creating Healthy Workplaces web page http://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/Programs-and-Projects/Economic-Participation/Creating-Healthy-Workplaces.aspx

• National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health & Safety in the Workplace (Mental Health Commission of Canada) & supporting resource documents. See http://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/node/5346

http://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/workplacehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAw9KV7b15ghttp://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/Programs-and-Projects/Economic-Participation/Creating-Healthy-Workplaces.aspxhttp://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/Programs-and-Projects/Economic-Participation/Creating-Healthy-Workplaces.aspxhttp://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/Programs-and-Projects/Economic-Participation/Creating-Healthy-Workplaces.aspxhttp://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/Programs-and-Projects/Economic-Participation/Creating-Healthy-Workplaces.aspxhttp://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/Programs-and-Projects/Economic-Participation/Creating-Healthy-Workplaces.aspxhttp://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/Programs-and-Projects/Economic-Participation/Creating-Healthy-Workplaces.aspxhttp://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/Programs-and-Projects/Economic-Participation/Creating-Healthy-Workplaces.aspxhttp://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/Programs-and-Projects/Economic-Participation/Creating-Healthy-Workplaces.aspxhttp://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/Programs-and-Projects/Economic-Participation/Creating-Healthy-Workplaces.aspxhttp://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/Programs-and-Projects/Economic-Participation/Creating-Healthy-Workplaces.aspxhttp://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/Programs-and-Projects/Economic-Participation/Creating-Healthy-Workplaces.aspxhttp://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/node/5346


[email protected]

(03) 9035 4940

Contact

mailto:[email protected]


What resonates most strongly with you about this presentation that relates to your own organisation?

What gets in the way of effective leadership practice?

What have you done that has worked and why/how did it work?

How would your leaders respond to a leadership program such as this in your organisation?

How ready would you organisation be to look into a systems approach to wellbeing?

What is the first thing you need to do to get a leadership focused, stress prevention program running in your organisation/ the Seafares industry more broadly?

Discussion questions

workplace mental health: integrating science and practice · integrating science and practice dr...

Documents