The Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards announce six national winners for 2007, including Healthwise, YAI/National Institute for People with Disabilities Network (YAI/NIPD), and The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Companies and employees save costs both financial and emotional, boosting mental health and productivity. One winner’s approach includes:

After pinpointing strains and sprains as the most common workplace injury, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters put in place its Industrial Athlete/Mindfulness Stretching program which combines yoga, meditation and physical therapy to prevent injuries and reduce stress. … Employees can receive reimbursement of up to $400 per year for wellness activities such as health club memberships and participation in weight loss or smoking cessation programs.

Mental illness in the workplace is a related concern, but not part of this PHWA program. Mental health tends to distance itself from mental illness. Wellness vs. treatment. Both are important.

Whenever I write on the workplace there’s interest from people with bipolar spectrum disorders wanting to keep (or get) jobs, as well as employers trying to deal with ill people creating problems (like felony assault – see comments). Every situation is as unique as the people involved, so there’s no simple advice I can link to. (Complicated advice: Mental Health Works.) Sometimes you need a lawyer.

Having a psychologically healthy workplace, though, would surely help both the employer with a frustrating productivity problem, and the worker with an un(der)treated mental illness or difficult social problem. Watch the short PHWA video, learn more about five key areas in creating a healthy workplace, and dig through more employer resources.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 18 Apr 2007
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.