Mental Health Training Linked to Better Business Performance

In today’s business landscape, the importance of mental health in the workplace is being increasingly recognised. Groundbreaking research led by Professor Holly Blake of the University of Nottingham and Dr. Juliet Hassard of Queen’s University Belfast, reveals that mental health training for line managers offers substantial business benefits. This study took data from several thousand companies in England, and demonstrated that mental health training is linked to enhanced business performance, superior customer service, and improved staff recruitment and retention.

The study, which was conducted in collaboration with the Enterprise Research Centre at Warwick Business School, used an anonymous data survey focusing on companies from various sectors and sizes between 2020 and 2023.

This study is the first of its kind to provide empirical evidence linking mental health training for line managers to better business outcomes.

There were several key findings around the link between mental health training and business performance, including that:

Mental health training equips line managers with the skills to support their team’s mental health, leading to a more engaged and productive workforce. This, in turn, drives better business results.

A mentally healthy workplace tends to provide higher quality customer service, which is crucial for customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Companies investing in mental health training for line managers see reduced absenteeism, which directly impacts productivity and performance.

Organisations that prioritise mental health are more attractive to potential employees and better at retaining their current staff, reducing turnover costs and maintaining organisational knowledge.

Professor Blake stated, “In firms of different types, sizes, and sectors, we found that training line managers in mental health was related to better staff recruitment and retention, customer service, business performance, and lower long-term sickness absence due to mental health. This is the first study to show that training line managers in mental health is linked to better business outcomes.”

This research highlights the significant and strategic value of mental health training within organisations. For business owners, managers and policymakers, these findings reinforce the business case for investing in workplace mental health and wellbeing initiatives. The researchers make recommendations for organisations to:

Implement mental health training for line managers. Such training helps managers support their teams effectively, leading to improved business performance.

Establish clear workplace policies defining the role of line managers in supporting employee mental health. This will foster a more supportive and productive work environment.

HSE Global understands that mental health training is not just a matter of employee wellbeing, it is a strategic business investment. Companies that invest in such training can achieve better business outcomes, and integration of mental health support into core business strategies will drive better performance and create a more supportive and productive workplace environment.

HSE Global supports over 200 organisations around the world with our mental health and wellbeing programs, including customised training solutions, workshops and strategic wellbeing reviews. We work with front line workers, leaders, senior executives, and board members from all industries.

To read more about our Mental Health and Wellbeing approach for organisations: https://hseglobal.com/mental-health/

Journal Reference | Juliet Hassard, Teixiera Dulal-Arthur, Jane Bourke, Maria Wishart, Stephen Roper, Vicki Belt, Stavroula Leka, Nick Pahl, Craig Bartle, Louise Thomson, Holly Blake. The relationship between line manager training in mental health and organisational outcomes. PLOS ONE, 2024; 19 (7): e0306065 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306065