Prevention Link

Disability Prevention at Work

Bell Let’s Talk: Occupational Mental Health

Prevention Link is pleased to recognize Bell Let’s Talk Day. 

It’s a disheartening fact that one in five Canadians will suffer from mental illness at some point in their lifetime. Stigma is one of the biggest hurdles for anyone suffering from mental illness and remains a significant barrier that discourages many Ontarians from talking about mental illness in the workplace.

Statistics reveal that:

  • 64 per cent of Ontario workers would be concerned about how work would be affected if a colleague had a mental illness;
  • 39 per cent of Ontario workers indicate that they would not tell their managers if they were experiencing a mental health problem; and
  • 40 per cent of respondents to a 2016 survey agreed they have experienced feelings of anxiety or depression but never sought medical help for it.

While there are significant gains to be made, the addition of Chronic Mental Stress as a compensation coverage under Ontario’s workers’ compensation system, effective January 1, 2018, is a victory to be celebrated. Under the new Traumatic Mental Stress policy, a worker is entitled to benefits for traumatic mental stress arising out of and in the course of the worker’s employment.

Everyone has a pivotal role to play in preventing work-related chronic mental stress.

Prevention Link can help!

Our Occupational Mental Health and Illness 101 workshop aims to educate Ontario workers on the basics, including the language used to describe mental illnesses in the workplace and current facts of mental illness that will enable participants to better dismantle stigma in their respective workplaces.

Additionally, if you or a co-worker are challenged with a mental health concern at work, visit The Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW) for more information and help today. OHCOW also offers StressAssess, a free evidence-based online survey tool designed to assist workplaces in identifying psychosocial hazards that can lead to stress and mental injury, providing suggestions and pathways to address them, and thus preventing harm.