Dive Brief:

• Research commissioned by the Great-West Life Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace (the Centre) found that more Canadian workers (77%) believe attitudes about mental health in the workplace are better now than previously, reports Military News. 
• The number of Canadians who said their workplace was psychologically unsafe or unhealthy (10%) in 2016 was reduced by half since 2009, when 20% felt that way. 
• The study also showed that more Canadian workers (79%) know about depression and other mental health disorders, up from 66% since 2007. But more employees (38%) were concerned about workplace mental health than managers (26%).

Dive Insight:

While this study is based in Canada, it reflects trends happening in the U.S. as well. Protecting psychological health in the workplace has emerged as a key business objective.

In the U.S., employers are particularly looking at emotional well-being as an important component of their workplace wellness programs. As the technology has improved, so have the number of offerings set to help employers manage behavioral health. Most studies have shown that improving employee mental health leads to wellness savings in the long run, which may signal why more employers are paying attention to it.