Mental Health in the Workplace
The definitions of employee mental health, the costs of employeemental illness to organizations and to society as a whole, and the role of the workplace in promoting positive mental health are reviewed.
Abstract
The increasing societal awareness of employee mental health issues, especially within the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, has led to a great deal of research examining the occupational predictors and outcomes of mental ill health. The consequences of employee mental illness can be significant to organizations, whereas providing employee mental health resources may offer a competitive advantage. This article provides a review of the definitions of employee mental health, the costs of employee mental illness to organizations and to society as a whole, and the role of the workplace in promoting positive mental health, preventing mental illness, intervening to address employee mental ill health, and accommodating employees experiencing mental health challenges. We present recommendations for future research and implications for practice. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, Volume 10 is January 2023. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.