Groundbreaking Research Premiers at the World Economic Forum

In the Fall of 2020, MHI partnered with New York University and the National Alliance on Mental Illness-New York City and was awarded one of ten contracts from Wellcome Trust-UK to review the evidence for mental health peer support for young adults in the workplace. Our review involved the following three components: (a) a science-informed review of research articles from the academic literature on workplace mental health peer support models, with an emphasis on those relevant to young adults; (b) a youth-informed review consisting of focus groups with young adults who have experienced anxiety and/or depression, especially in the workplace; and (c) a practice-informed review consisting of a review of mental health peer support initiatives in workplaces, with particular attention paid to expert knowledge, best practices, and existing models used by peer supporters in workplace settings. This project was particularly exciting because we were able to integrate academic and real-world evidence and expertise.   

The research shows clear benefits of having a peer support program in the workplace including: 

·      Improved employee mental well-being, confidence, and ability to cope with workplace stressors

·      Increased employment stability

·      Increased trust and supportive relationships between colleagues

·      Increased employee and organizational resilience

·      Decreased stigma of mental illness

Business leaders need to heed the advice from youth with lived experience that it is important for all levels of leadership to be on board with a peer support program: “As long as leadership is recognizing the importance and even leading by example, that was ideal. And it made me so much more willing to work harder.” 

Organizational leaders who have successfully implemented peer support programs recommend the following key ingredients:

·      policies that guide governance and implementation

·      standardized selection and training of peer supporters

·      clear articulation of confidentiality 

·      a culture of safety and openness

·      a comprehensive mental health strategy

With the research now complete, we are focused on disseminating the results through various presentations and publications. We have already had an incredible opportunity to present this work at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in a session titled “Deploying Evidence-Based Approaches to Workplace Mental Health - A Discussion with the World Economic Forum and Wellcome”. It was an inspiring and rich discussion with like-minded professionals committed to improving workplaces. Business leaders, policy experts, and researchers from ten countries discussed the evidence for different mental health initiatives in the workplace with the goal to help members of the WEF make science-informed business decisions to support their employees.

We would love to hear your thoughts on the subject:

1)    What challenges are you seeing at your workplace where peer support might be the solution?

2)    What would need to be in place within your organization for peer support to be considered as a potential strategy?

Share your thoughts and challenges with us at t.tang@mhic-cism.com

Access the WEF session recording here.

Download this infographic of the findings and recommendations that emerged from our review.

About the Author:

Taryn Tang, PhD. is a mental health entrepreneur, educator, researcher, and family caregiver. Taryn is an academically trained researcher who has led and implemented research and evaluation programs in university, hospital, and community settings. She has taught, given numerous presentations, delivered workshops, received grant support, and published on diverse topics in mental health. Taryn holds a PhD in Applied Psychology, is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, and an Associate with Mental Health Innovations.