Bridging the Gap Between Commerce and Medicine in Workplace Mental Health Research

It has been said that “the worlds of mental health and work have elaborated two cultural traditions, speak different languages, are philosophically distinct”; however, psychological illness remains a growing concern for both of these groups. The Mental Health Commission of Canada reports that mental health problems and illnesses cost Canadian businesses more than $6 billion in lost productivity annually. Work disability claims related to mental health disorders are the fastest growing category of work-related disability claims in Canada, accounting for approximately 30 percent of short- and long-term disability claims.

In this talk, Johannes Rebane will present an overview of the current state of workplace mental health and discuss ways in which the management and medical sciences can work together to find effective and practical solutions to this issue.