The Routledge Companion to Mental Health at Work

Book excerpt: The issue of mental health at work has become a hot topic in both the popular media and academic writings. Although job stress and mental ill-health are associated with negative outcomes for individuals, teams, and organizations, there has been some suggestion that changing the work environment and creating healthy workplaces can improve worker health. Much of the current works in the general of health is fractured, coming from a variety of disciplines and perspectives without an organizing framework to help guide research and practice in the area. Having this individualized, compartmentalized perspective constrains our ability to fully understand the scope of the issue, the key factors in supporting or detracting from one’s mental health, and interventions focusing on mental health at work. Given the importance of understanding mental health at work and the current lack of coverage on workplace mental health, there is a need for a book to provide a holistic overview of the issue targeting the environmental, individual, and group influences of mental health and well-being, as well as the impact on individuals and workplaces. This handbook provides a conceptual framework for examining these issues. Each chapter offers an in-depth examination of the key facets of mental health at work, focusing both on the seminal and current literature on the topic and practical suggestions for best practices for organizations. With contributions from leading experts, authors address the state-of-the-art research and integrate current events that are shaping the way we work and our wellbeing at work. This edited collection will be of interest to researchers, academics, policymakers, and advanced students in the fields of human resource management, organizational psychology, and management.