Psychologically healthy workplaces, disability management and employee mental health

BACKGROUND: Mental health (MH) in the workplace affects employers financially through the increased use of health care, disability leave plans and a loss of productivity (Ritter, Reif & McGuire, 2009). OBJECTIVE: Increases in the prevalence of MH requires a better understanding of how employers can create workplaces that are psychologically healthy and decrease the impact of MH, such as disability management (DM) programs. Understanding how the workplace culture contributes to, or alleviates, the impact of MH in the workplace is critical. CONCLUSION: Disability management programs, combined with psychologically healthy workplaces, are important for ensuring that people with MH conditions have the supports in place through their employer to remain at work, or return to work. However, understanding successful integration of new employees with MH conditions is also important as a supportive workplace impacts the likelihood of continued employment.