World Mental Health Day 2024 at PLOS Mental Health: It is time to prioritize mental health in the workplace

This year, the theme for World Mental Health Day encourages us to consider the importance of mental health in professional settings. Being aware of what constitutes a healthy and psychologically safe working environment – regardless of where or how we work – benefits individuals, organizations and communities. 

In this round-up, we share how PLOS Mental Health is contributing to conversations around the topic of well-being in the workplace. We are taking this opportunity to begin these discussions and to consistently incorporate them into what we do as a journal moving forward…

1. Special Seminar: What role does diversity, inclusion and leadership play?

In our special seminar: ‘The Roles of Inclusion and Leadership in Shaping Well-being in the Workplace’ our Executive Editor, Dr Karli Montague-Cardoso is joined by the journal’s ‘Occupational Mental Health’ Section Editors Enoch Li (China) and Dr Sarah Jones (UK) as well as ‘Neurodiversity & Mental Health’ Section Editor Dr Luke Beardon (UK) and guest panelist Brian Henderson (Hong Kong) – founder of Whole Business Wellness. They discuss how diversity and inclusion can shape wellbeing in the workplace – especially in the context of authenticity, stigma and variations in comfortability with disclosure. They also discuss the role of leadership and the importance of ensuring that leaders are comfortable and supported when promoting workplace wellbeing.

Watch our World Mental Health Day Seminar…

2. Considering all angles – from the individual to the systemic

As mentioned above, the benefits of a psychologically safe workplace are far-reaching and we have two important pieces of content that reflect the importance of workplace well-being from the individual perspective and from the investor perspective. From an individual perspective, we have published an Opinion piece from Maria Heliana Ramirez, who suggests that reframing mental ‘illness’ to ‘injury’ in the workplace could help to prevent health worker suicide. From an investor perspective, we hear from CCLA Investment , who outline how promoting and investing in the mental health of workers is both a moral and an economic imperative.

***Warning – our Opinion piece on workplace-related suicide contains some discussions that readers may find triggering or uncomfortable.

3. True psychological safety is about choice…

We spend so many of our waking hours at work that it is essential to ensure that everyone is able to work in an environment in which they are supported and do not fear judgment. However true psychological safety at work is about having freedom to share as much or as little as we like. For many, not openly sharing is a more comfortable approach and one that should be supported just as much as we support open conversations. In our latest ‘Journeys in Mental Health’ blog, we hear from an anonymous contributor who feels safer not discussing their mental health in the workplace. 

In short, everyone is different. Every workplace is different. Every team within an organization is different. In order to prioritize mental health in the workplace, we need to understand everyone’s needs and where they come from. PLOS Mental Health’s Occupational Mental Health Section will continue to contribute to this important goal.

…everyone is different. Every workplace is different. Every team within an organization is different. In order to prioritize mental health in the workplace, we need to understand everyone’s needs and where they come from...