Mental Health in the Workplace

Mental health is multi-faceted, affecting individuals in a variety of ways ranging from anxiety and depression to panic attacks and hyperventilation. Its causes are also diverse.

Mental health in the workplace has recently begun to be taken seriously by organisations. Research has shown that employees with poor mental health can affect businesses negatively, harming job performance, work engagement, co-worker communication and teamwork. The COVID-19 pandemic has made this topic even more prominent, as many employees transitioned to work-from-home, resulting in increased social segregation and isolation. Technology-facilitated communication such as online conferencing is not sufficient to fully replace the social interactions which humans, as social animals, require.

Organisations have hence started to give mental health the same level of consideration as physical health, with some companies allowing their employees to take time off for mental health reasons. Some have also extended psychological counselling sessions and mental well-being programmes to their employees as workplace benefits. Likewise, employees (current and potential) have also started to pay attention to the support and resources which employers make available with regards to their mental health in the workplace. Work-life balance is now a serious consideration which job-seekers look out for, and companies are likewise introducing policies such as flexible working arrangements to cater to these needs.

This guide provides supplementary resources for those who are keen to further explore this topic. You can also visit NLB’s online catalogue to search for more resources.

Resources

Books

Title	Description
	Mental health and wellbeing in the workplace: A practical guide for employers and employees This book includes case studies from both employers and employees perspectives, and covering issues such as the definition and importance of understanding mental health, its impacts on businesses and employees, managing staff with mental ill health, and managing stress and anxiety in the workplace. All rights reserved, Chichester, West Sussex : Wiley-Capstone, 2020 Gill Hasson, Mental health and wellbeing in the workplace: A practical guide for employers and employees. Chichester, West Sussex : Wiley-Capstone, 2020 (Call no. 158.7 HAS)
	The ballerina mindset: How to protect your mental health while striving for excellence In The Ballerina Mindset, Fairchild shares all the wisdom she’s learned from her nearly two-decade career, drawing upon her own experiences to show us how she learned to overcome challenges ranging from stage fright to negative feedback to a packed calendar to weight management–and how we can do the same. All rights reserved, New York: Penguin Books, 2021 Megan Fairchild, The ballerina mindset: How to protect your mental health while striving for excellence. New York: Penguin Books, 2021 (Call no. 158.1 FAI)

Title

Description

Mental health and wellbeing in the workplace: A practical guide for employers and employees
This book includes case studies from both employers and employees perspectives, and covering issues such as the definition and importance of understanding mental health, its impacts on businesses and employees, managing staff with mental ill health, and managing stress and anxiety in the workplace.
All rights reserved, Chichester, West Sussex : Wiley-Capstone, 2020

Gill Hasson, Mental health and wellbeing in the workplace: A practical guide for employers and employees. Chichester, West Sussex : Wiley-Capstone, 2020
(Call no. 158.7 HAS)

The ballerina mindset: How to protect your mental health while striving for excellence
In The Ballerina Mindset, Fairchild shares all the wisdom she’s learned from her nearly two-decade career, drawing upon her own experiences to show us how she learned to overcome challenges ranging from stage fright to negative feedback to a packed calendar to weight management–and how we can do the same.
All rights reserved, New York: Penguin Books, 2021

Megan Fairchild, The ballerina mindset: How to protect your mental health while striving for excellence. New York: Penguin Books, 2021
(Call no. 158.1 FAI)

Ebooks

(myLibraryID is required to access the ebooks from NLB Overdrive)

Title	Description
	Your Health at Work: An Indispensable Guide to Physical and Mental Wellbeing This book describes the common health risks at work, both physical and mental, providing reliable help and advice to avoid or manage them. Case studies provide inspirational and practical insights to support you at work. All rights reserved, Kogan Page, 2018 Becky Allen & Howard Fidderman, Your Health at Work: An Indispensable Guide to Physical and Mental Wellbeing. Kogan Page, 2018)
	HBR Guide to Better Mental Health at Work This HBR guide contains practical tips and advice to help you bring mental health out of the shadows and into everyday conversations, making you and your colleagues feel that mental health is supported in the office. All rights reserved, Harvard Business Review Press, 2022 Harvard Business Review, HBR Guide to Better Mental Health at Work. Harvard Business Review Press, 2022)
	Making Work Work: The Positivity Solution for Any Work Environment Making Work Work focuses on inspiring current and future leaders to start a movement that will banish on-the-job bullying, put meaning back into work, and enhance coworkers’ happiness and engagement. All rights reserved, Sterling Ethos, 2016 Shola Richards, Making Work Work: The Positivity Solution for Any Work Environment. Sterling Ethos, 2016)
	HBR Guide to Beating Burnout This HBR guide contains practical tips and advice to help you, your team, and your organization navigate the perils of burnout and rediscover healthy engagement at work, avoiding low productivity and negative emotions. All rights reserved, Harvard Business Review Press, 2020 Harvard Business Review, HBR Guide to Beating Burnout. Harvard Business Review Press, 2020)

Websites

Tripartite advisory on mental well-being at workplaces

Ministry of Manpower. “Tripartite advisory on mental well-being at workplaces.” November 17, 2020. https://www.mom.gov.sg/covid-19/tripartite-advisory-on-mental-well-being-at-workplaces

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) and National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) issued an advisory on mental well-being at workplaces, acknowledging that mental health is an important consideration and should be taken seriously by employers.
How to support mental health at work

Mental Health Foundation. “How to support mental health at work.” 2022. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/how-support-mental-health-work

This downloadable guide from the Mental Health Foundation provides you with tips on how to look after your mental health at work. It also provides tips on supporting your colleagues, and making your workplace more mentally healthy for everyone.
It’s a New Era for Mental Health at Work

Greenwood, Kelly, & Anas, Julia. “It’s a New Era for Mental Health at Work.” Harvard Business Review, October 04, 2021. https://hbr.org/2021/10/its-a-new-era-for-mental-health-at-work

This Harvard Business Review article notes that mental health went from a nice-to-have to a true business imperative in 2020, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It traces the causes and effects of poor mental health and employer roles in the workplace.
Mental health in the workplace: why is it important and what support is available?

Waters, Shonna. “Mental health in the workplace: why is it important and what support is available?” BetterUp, May 21, 2021. https://www.betterup.com/blog/mental-health-in-the-workplace

BetterUp, a coaching and organisation development company, explains what employers and employees can each do to promote mental well-being at work. Two short case studies are provided.

Videos

World Health Organization (WHO). “Mental health and work.” November 5, 2020. Video, 4:49. https://youtu.be/AIavX-Ft2DU

In this short video, essential workers from around the world from the health, emergency and humanitarian sectors share their personal stories about mental health and work, including what more needs to be done, and why we should invest in mental health at work.
Harvard Business Review. “Coping with Anxiety and Uncertainty at Work” May 19, 2020. Video, 36:49. https://youtu.be/bPBsnygQiXA

Harvard Business Review explore the intense emotions of anxiety and uncertainty at work and their impact on jobs and careers, while discussing the upsides and downsides of these feelings and how to cope with them in the workplace.
TED. “The cost of workplace stress - and how to reduce it - Rob Cooke” May 27, 2020. Video, 10:38. https://youtu.be/QE8kNh52EeU

Work-related stress can hurt your productivity and personal health. Wellness advocate Rob Cooke shares some strategies to help put your mental, physical and emotional well-being back at the forefront of your job and life.
Wall Street Journal. “How Job Stress Affects Your Health - WSJ.” August 20, 2019. Video, 6:21. https://youtu.be/lHgWwSGZ_-o

Digital science editor for WSJ Daniela Hernandez participates in a week-long experiment, discovering that work-related stress has adverse impacts on our bodies. Different ways to manage stress and measure personal resilience are also discussed.

Author

This resource guide was prepared in September 2022 by Kevin Seet, Librarian at the National Library, Singapore. The information in this resource guide is valid as of April 2022 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history on the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.