Employees may derive satisfaction and purpose from their work, which is one area of their lives. There is significant evidence that work reduces the likelihood of depression and enhances mental health (Waddell & Burton, 2006; van der Noordt et al., 2014). Negative stress reactions may result from workplace demands that are greater than the employees' abilities to handle them. Employees could overtime develop symptoms such as depression or/ and other negative stress reactions such as job dissatisfaction, decreased commitment, reduced job performance, and absenteeism (Collins et al., 2005). What's worrying is that these negative stress reactions cannot just affect the employees; they might also have an impact on their relationship with their families and their social networks. The World Health Organization (2019) have also emphasized the need of encouraging a positive work environment, warning that a toxic workplace may result in issues with physical and mental health, risky drug or alcohol use, absenteeism, and decreased productivity.
Mental health is defined as absence of mental illness and with the opportunity to develop and flourish with high levels of emotional, psychological and social well-being (Keyes, 2005). It relates to the physical settings, work-related risks, relationships with coworkers, one's own health and ability to work, and even stress from one's family (Suomaa et al., 2011). It can also be seen as an important determinant of productivity at the individual, corporate and community levels (Schulte & Vainio, 2010). But, global statistics indicate that, an estimated 264 million people suffer from depression, which is one of the major causes of disability. Many of these individuals also have anxiety symptoms (WHO, 2019).
The presence of mental illness, therefore, can poses a serious challenge for organizations. Prior studies have shown that mental illness increases employee absenteeism, presenteeism (e.g., Koopman et al., 2002), and use of health-care resources, which in turn increases both direct (e.g., health care) and indirect (e.g., lost productivity) costs that exceed billions of dollars annually (Greenberg et al., 2015).
Factors and conditions at work that may prevent or promote the mental health and welfare of employees are known as healthy workplace factors for mental health. These factors may operate as resources (buffers) against the unfavorable effects of certain workplace risks. They are factors (e.g., autonomy, stress management and the availability of workplace wellness support frameworks, inclusionary culture, physical comfort and safety, workspace design, and collaboration) that could address individual employee’s social, emotional, physical, spiritual, and intellectual needs. A person's mental health can be improved, and doing so has several advantages. Being mentally healthy helps employees feel confident in their worth and abilities, accept their strengths and weaknesses, set realistic goals and create a sense of meaning and purpose in their life.
Therefore, it is crucial to talk about how to give workplace mental health a priority. The tendency to prioritize employee mental health in ways that are reflected in firms' policies, procedures, and leadership styles may be linked to their willingness to do so (Fairclough et al., 2013). Therefore, it is encouraged that organizations take into account the importance of comprehending the mental health needs of their employees and do their part to meet those needs by developing context-oriented programs that may also increase productivity.