Novel Perspectives on Mental Health in the Workplace

Management scholars have called for an increase in research on employees who have mental health challenges at work (Follmer & Follmer, 2021; Follmer & Jones, 2018). Additionally, research conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic has illuminated workplace factors that may hinder employee mental health (e.g., Andel et al., 2021; Caldas et al., 2020). To answer these calls and further expand on our understanding of employee mental health, this symposium brings together a group of scholars who are studying topics related to both common and chronic mental health challenges faced by employees. Specifically, this symposium introduces the following novel perspectives. First, the symposium expands our understanding of how discrimination influences mental health conditions, and it questions assumptions around offering mental health support in the context of racial and gender discrimination. Second, the symposium considers the importance of industry and work characteristics in the emergence of mental health concerns. Last but not least, the symposium introduces novel recommendations for managers, educators, and employees on ways to support employees facing mental health challenges. Workplace Discrimination, Depression, and People of Color: A Longitudinal Study Presenter: Erica M. Johnson; Organizational Behavior Case Western Reserve U. Who’s to Blame? Attributions for Workplace-Induced Mental Strain Presenter: Andrea Freund; Stanford Graduate School of Business Presenter: Margaret A. Neale; Stanford U. What You Don’t Know About Your Dream Job: Mental Health in the Music Industry Presenter: Jessica Francavilla; Washington U. in St. Louis, Olin Business School The Utility of Gatekeeper Training in Business School Curricula to Increase Mental Health Literacy Presenter: Emily Rosado-Solomon; California State U., Long Beach Presenter: Joanne Kasem; California State U., Long Beach Staying Happy while Working from Home during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Three Brief Interventions Presenter: Mariana Toniolo-Barrios; Simon Fraser U. Presenter: Lieke Laura Ten Brummelhuis; Simon Fraser U.