Mental health in the workplace: Why it matters

Like physical health, mental health is a key aspect of an individual’s wellness. Good mental health is vital to everyone’s engagement in life, their resiliency and their productivity.

The World Health Organization defines mental health as follows:

“A state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to her or his own community.”

(1) World Health Organization. Promoting mental health: concepts, emerging evidence, practice (Summary Report) Geneva: World Health Organization; 2004.

Anxiety often occurs in conjunction with depression, and chronic job stress leading to burnout is on the rise. Some employees also live with post-traumatic stress disorder or other serious conditions. These challenges are difficult for affected individuals and their families.

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