Managers and Mental Health: WHO Guidelines
In October 2022, the World Health Organisation (WHO) released evidence-based global public health guidance on organisational interventions, manager and worker training, and individual interventions for the promotion of positive mental health at work and prevention of mental health conditions.
The guidelines highlight a number of key recommendations that seek to improve the implementation of evidence-based interventions for mental health at work. One of the major recommendations is Manager Training for Mental Health.
WHO Recommendation
The WHO recommend strongly, citing moderate-certainty of evidence that:
‘Training managers to support their workers’ mental health should be delivered to improve managers’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviours for mental health and to improve workers’ help-seeking behaviours.’
Benefits of Manager Training for Mental Health
The beneficial effects of such training that they identified were improvements in (to varying degrees):
Managers’ knowledge of mental health
Managers’ skills/behaviours for supporting workers
Managers stigmatising attitudes towards mental health
Workers’ subsequent help-seeking behaviour
Reduction in perceptions of job insecurity in workers
You can download the report and recommendations in full here.
Training Your Managers to Support High Performance and Wellbeing
Managers and leaders play a pivotal role in creating, modelling and sustaining the day to day practices that promote high levels of performance and wellbeing.
Building awareness and understanding not only of ill-health, but of the active steps needed to stay well, is key to the success and wellbeing of your people and business.
If you’d like to increase the competence and confidence of your managers to address mental health and illness, reduce stigma and create a culture of wellbeing, check out our Mental Health for Managers educational training course here, or get in touch for a chat.