The Work and Mental Health Website launched
Health & Safety update - 04/07/2011
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has launched a new website
offering information and guidance about mental health in the
workplace. It is divided into four main parts and is aimed at
workers, carers, employers and clinicians. Each section gives
relevant information and provides links to other external
resources.
It also explains how work can be good for people's mental health
and wellbeing and can play a positive part in recovery from mental
health issues. Additionally, it shows how employers can provide
effective support at work for people with a history of mental ill
health and how clinicians can support people returning to work.
Dr Jed Boardman, from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said,
"The development of this website has given us a wonderful
opportunity to stress the importance of work for people with mental
health problems. Work provides more than a wage- it is a
significant part of a person's identity and provides a means of
participation in broader society. This new website not only
provides a new information resource for people with mental health
problems, clinicians and employers, but also stresses the
importance of collaboration between these key groups of people and
the potential benefits for all."
Dr Paul Litchfield, BT Group Chief Medical Officer and Chair of
the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, said,
"Mental health problems represent the most common cause of extended
sickness absence for people of working age in the UK. The
workplace, work colleagues and work itself can all be important
factors in either facilitating or impeding recovery. In most cases
simple measures can make the difference between doing good and
doing harm but many workers, managers and healthcare professionals
do not know what to do. This online resource is therefore an
important element in improving knowledge about mental health at
work, and in contributing to a healthier and more productive
workforce."
Find the website at
http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthinfo/workandmentalhealth.aspx