Mental

Health
Strategy
Contents
Terms ......................................................................................................1
Message from the president
and CEO .................................................................................................2
Introduction ...........................................................................................4
Psychosocial risk factors in the workplace.........................................................................5

Background..............................................................................................................................6

Our role.....................................................................................................................................6

Framework for success...........................................................................................................6

When psychological injuries occur......................................................................................7

WorkSafeBC as an employer................................................................................................7

Developing our Mental Health Strategy...............................................................................7

Strategy 2023-2025................................................................................8
Vision.........................................................................................................................................8

Focus areas..............................................................................................................................8

Initiatives...................................................................................................................................8

1. Bring a greater focus on prevention of psychological injuries.................................8

2. Engage proactively with workers and employers......................................................8

3. Partner proactively with supporting organizations, agencies,

and providers...................................................................................................................9

4. Provide evidence-informed treatment and resources...............................................9

5. Be a visible leader as an employer...............................................................................9

Intended outcomes.................................................................................................................9

Measures..................................................................................................................................9

Implementation........................................................................................................................9

Appendix: Biographies of expert panellists................................... 10

Endnotes...............................................................................................12
3 | Mental Health Strategy
Terms
Mental or psychological health: Psychological injury:
A state of mental well-being in which the individual A mental health condition, including mental
realizes their own abilities, can cope with the normal disorders, especially when the mental health
stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, condition or disorder is thought to be caused by
and is able to make a contribution to their own exposure to potentially psychologically traumatic
community. events and other stressors.
Source: World Health Organization Source: Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and
Treatment

In this document, we address our role as a regulator

To qualify for WorkSafeBC benefits, a psychological
of workplaces and administrator of the workers’
injury must have been caused by one or more
compensation system in B.C., while recognizing our
traumatic events or significant stressors at work and
own role as an employer. We use “mental health” as
resulted in a diagnosed mental health condition.
the umbrella term for WorkSafeBC’s strategy and
“psychological health and safety” when referring to Please note: Historically, WorkSafeBC has referred
workplace-specific components of the strategy, to “mental stress” or “mental health conditions,” and
such as risks and hazards. section 135 of the Workers Compensation Act refers
to “mental disorders.” At WorkSafeBC, we have
Psychological health and safety: recently chosen to refer to a worker’s “psychological
injury” unless the context is related to law or policy.
Psychological health and safety is embedded in
the way people interact with one another on a daily
basis and is part of the way working conditions
Psychological injury–only claims:
and management practices are structured and how Claims where a psychological injury is the only
decisions are made and communicated. injury on the claim. (Claims with a physical and
Source: Canadian Standards Association psychological injury are largely claims where a
psychological injury develops as a consequence of
While many factors outside the workplace can
a physical injury, but also include claims where there
affect psychological health and safety, WorkSafeBC’s
are concurrent psychological and physical injuries
Mental Health Strategy will address those factors
arising out of the same incident.)
within the control, responsibility, or influence of
the workplace.

Psychologically healthy and safe

workplace:
A workplace that promotes employees’ psychological
well-being and actively works to prevent harm to
worker psychological health, including in negligent,
reckless, or intentional ways.
Source: Canadian Standards Association

1 | Mental Health Strategy

Message from the president
and CEO
The importance of psychological health has never This strategy outlines our plan to foster psychologically
been more apparent than at this moment, in the healthy and safe workplaces in B.C. as well as at
wake of a global pandemic and the socioeconomic, WorkSafeBC. All facets of our plan will require
geopolitical, and environmental uncertainties it has sustained engagement and collaboration with workers,
brought into focus. employers, and providers alongside government
and community members and our own employee
Psychological health is increasingly recognized as community. We aim to educate our stakeholders not
an integral part of overall well-being. And all parties just about what they must do, as spelled out in our
have a fundamental role to play in promoting and regulations, but also about what they can do to help
maintaining psychological health in workplaces. meet our collective goals.

Just as importantly, psychological health and safety This document sets out the terms we are using, the
is being considered alongside physical health and factors, shaping our approach, our vision and areas
safety. We have seen this reflected in the rising of focus, our intended outcomes, and the steps
number of psychological injury claims registered we will take to progress. It outlines our long-term
with WorkSafeBC since 2018. That number is direction but permits the flexibility to adapt as those
expected to continue to grow, making it increasingly factors change and new data emerges.
vital to have a robust strategy in place.
We look forward to working with our partners to
The complex nature of psychological injury claims make a difference to the psychological health and
means that diagnosis and treatment can be less safety of British Columbians at work.
straightforward, harder to access, and more costly
than for physical injury claims. As a regulator, we
need to ensure clear regulations are in place to guide
employers in preventing psychological injuries and
promoting psychological health and safety in the
workplace — just as we work to prevent physical
injuries.

When workers come to us with psychological injury

claims, we consider their unique needs and optimize
their support and treatment to help them get back to
their lives and their work in a safe and lasting way.
Anne Naser
President and CEO

2 | Mental Health Strategy

By the numbers

1 in 5 Canadians experiences a mental health

problem each year.1

$2.18 is the median yearly return on each dollar of

investment for companies with mental health
programs in place for three or more years.2

70% of Canadian employees are concerned about

the psychological health and safety of their
workplace.3

$6.6 billion is the annual cost to the B.C. economy of

poor mental health.4

118% is the growth in psychological injury claims

accepted by WorkSafeBC between 2018 and
2022.5

3 | Mental Health Strategy

Introduction
Mental health is an issue of increasing significance in workplaces. A 2017
survey found that each week, about 500,000 people employed across
Canada were missing work owing to psychological health6 — a broad
term that is interchangeable with mental health.

Pandemic-related challenges such as social isolation, school closures,

and economic uncertainty intensified that trend. A multi-part nationwide
survey by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) in partnership
with the University of British Columbia found that 41 percent of Canadians
said their mental health had deteriorated between March 2020 and May
2021.7

Sectors such as health care and social services, public administration,

transportation, retail, tourism, and education have faced particular
challenges over the past few years, focusing WorkSafeBC’s attention
on the growing importance of workplace mental health. And, as with
physical health and safety, psychological health and safety is everyone’s
responsibility.

4 | Mental Health Strategy

Psychosocial risk factors
in the workplace Psychological
Work is central to mental health. For many, work is health and safety
a primary source of well-being and community that
is critical to financial and emotional security. is everyone’s
While a psychologically healthy and safe workplace
can protect and enrich mental health, the inverse
responsibility.
is also true: A psychologically unhealthy or unsafe
workplace can contribute to or cause poor mental
health. This strategy will help align our efforts with recognized
best practices outlined in the Canadian Standards
To function successfully, workplaces depend Association (CSA) Group’s national standard on
on the health of their people. Studies show that psychological health and safety in the workplace,
psychologically healthy workers are more productive, CAN/CSA-Z1003-13/BNQ 9700-803/2013 (R2022). It
while psychological ill health can cost an employer also relies on the International Standards Organization’s
through lower productivity, burnout, staff turnover, (ISO’s) 2021 global standard ISO 45003, offering
and workers’ compensation claims. Over and above guidance on managing workplace psychological
the human cost, the economic toll of mental illness health and further defining relevant psychosocial
in Canada is estimated to be $51 billion each year, risks — factors within the workplace or work that can
with $6.3 billion resulting from lost productivity.8 negatively affect psychological and physical health.

Psychological well-being has factored into much of These factors can include the amount, intensity,
the work we do, including campaigns and outreach to and type of work and the circumstances in which
educate employers about the benefits of remaining it is done. They also include social factors such
connected to injured workers. Given the central as culture, working relationships, and fairness.
importance of work to identity, actively supporting Unaddressed, these factors can negatively influence
workers throughout their recovery can help them psychological health over time — and can even affect
feel valued and prevent long-lasting disability. cognitive abilities, reducing workplace performance.9

Some of the known risk factors for workplace Psychological injuries can be prevented and treated
psychological injuries are exposure to traumatic effectively. Early awareness, access to resources and
events, harassment and violence, and other support, and appropriate and timely response can
significant stressors. WorkSafeBC has focused greatly reduce the impact of symptoms, promote
on each of these factors in different ways through mental well-being, and help people remain at work.
the years with resources, targeted education and
outreach to employers and workers, and campaigns However, stigma around mental illness and limited
aimed at raising public awareness. We also support access to resources and support in the community
employers in understanding and complying with have created hurdles to timely diagnosis and
relevant regulations, as well as those related to worker treatment. With the right resources, support, and
orientation and training, supervision, and joint health tools, employers and workers are better equipped
and safety committees. to effectively manage their mental well-being.

WorkSafeBC’s Mental Health Strategy sets out where

we are now with psychological health and safety in
B.C.’s workplaces, and where we aim to be over the
next few years.

5 | Mental Health Strategy

Background Our role
Before 2015, the average number of psychological Psychological health and safety at work is now
injury–only claims accepted by WorkSafeBC per recognized as integral to physical health and safety.
year was relatively stable at around 419. That number Our work as a regulator has reflected that shift over
began to rise in 2015, and between 2018 and 2019 it the last decade, as we have expanded our prevention
nearly doubled, from 914 to 1,721. Based on trends focus to include bullying, harassment, and violence
so far in 2023, it appears the total will grow to more in the workplace, and we have developed tools,
than 2,000 this year. resources, and public awareness campaigns to
support the psychological health of those we
Along with heightened public discourse about serve. Prevention officers continually inspect for
mental health, one important driver of this increase compliance with regulatory requirements related
was Bill 14, the 2012 amendment to the Workers to psychological health and safety, including
Compensation Act changing coverage for mental harassment and violence, workplace conduct,
disorders. Subsequent legislative and policy and reports of unsafe work conditions.
amendments and an evolving landscape have
resulted in further growth in psychological injury Our role as a regulator is to lead employers in
claims received, and in their allow rate increasing promoting and supporting psychological health
from 37 percent in 2017 to 54 percent in 2022. and safety in the workplace — through training and
education, by involving workers in the discussion of
Accompanying this rise in volume is a rise in risks and solutions, and by preventing psychological
human suffering and financial costs. Psychological injuries — just as we work to prevent physical injuries.
injuries and illnesses are often complex, resulting
in longer treatments and absences from work. The
toll on individuals and their families is immense. Framework for success
The psychologists we rely on for assessment and
treatment are also in high demand, potentially The following three principles will help employers
delaying diagnosis and recovery. successfully address mental health in the workplace:

Rising costs will ultimately be reflected in 1. Show leadership commitment

the premiums employers pay to ensure their 2. Develop supportive managers and supervisors
workers are covered by the compensation system.
3. Ensure worker participation
Addressing psychological health and safety in the
workplace is therefore critical not just in support To identify the specific hazards and risks that need
of overall worker health and safety; it’s key to the to be addressed in their workplaces, employers
continued economic health of employers in B.C. should use the risk-management framework they
already use for their physical environment. This
framework requires understanding the risks,
controlling them, communicating about them,
monitoring and improving the effectiveness of the
controls, and updating workers as needed.

We will apply this same framework to understanding

psychological hazards, supporting employers in
identifying and eliminating or mitigating potential risk.

6 | Mental Health Strategy

When psychological injuries Developing our Mental
occur Health Strategy
When a claim is registered, we will work with the We established an executive steering committee
employer, union (if applicable), and providers to and task force to document WorkSafeBC’s progress
consider the worker’s unique needs as we optimize to date on mental health–related initiatives. We
their support and treatment. Our goal is to help them then conducted a comprehensive scan of peer
get back to their life and their work in a safe and lasting organizations around the world to understand
way. To be successful, we must continue to raise how other jurisdictions approach workplace
awareness, reduce stigma, build the skills of our teams psychological health and safety.
who support worker recovery, and develop a broader
and more broadly skilled network of providers. With this foundation, we assembled an international
panel of leading experts in the field, including
Dr. Dan Bilsker, Dr. Maureen Dollard, Dr. Merv
WorkSafeBC as an Gilbert, Dr. Stavroula Leka, and Dr. Peter Smith.
(See appendix for biographical information.)
employer
The draft strategy, incorporating research and
As an employer, we are focused on the psychological best practices from other jurisdictions alongside
health and safety of our own workplaces. We made input from the expert panel, was approved by
important strides in 2022, launching an employee WorkSafeBC’s Enterprise Leadership Team in
psychological health and safety strategy designed early 2023.
to reduce stigma and promote well-being in our own
This document sets out our vision, five focus
workplaces.
areas, and multiple initiatives that will support
We are committed to ensuring our leaders are aware workers and employers in building psychologically
of their critical role in supporting our staff, providing safe and healthy workplaces, including outreach
the engagement opportunities and resources our and education campaigns and a suite of tools and
employees need to participate and be effective resources. At the same time, WorkSafeBC will
and resilient in their roles, having regular and open develop a measurement and evaluation framework,
conversations about mental well-being, and building a build its internal capacity to meet the needs of
workplace culture in which all WorkSafeBC employees those with psychological injuries, and work toward
feel supported, empowered, confident, and valued. a more robust psychological health and safety
program for its own employees.

This strategy responds to the urgent need for

a more integrated, comprehensive approach
to workplace psychological health and safety
in British Columbia.

7 | Mental Health Strategy

Strategy 2023-2025
Vision
WorkSafeBC will be a leader in promoting psychologically safe and healthy workplaces and
compassionate recovery.

Focus areas
These five focus areas set the direction for moving forward. Each focus area includes initiatives
outlined below.
1. Bring a greater focus on prevention of psychological injuries
2. Engage proactively with workers and employers
3. Partner proactively with supporting organizations, agencies, and providers
4. Provide evidence-informed treatment and resources when psychological injuries occur
5. Be a visible leader as an employer

Initiatives
We identified specific initiatives under each focus area, to address the underlying causes of
workplace psychological injury and illness.

1. Bring a greater focus on prevention of psychological injuries

• Develop new regulations for psychological health and safety
• Build our capacity through training on new skillsets and adding expertise
• Build our capacity by redistributing and adding to existing resources
• Develop tools and resources for employers, including psychological health and safety risk
assessment tools

2. Engage proactively with workers and employers

• Launch targeted outreach and awareness campaigns about the importance of psychological health
and safety
• During workplace consultations and inspections, engage with employers and workers about
psychological health and safety and support workers’ involvement in discussion of risks and solutions
• Engage worker and employer representatives from across the province in identifying challenges and
opportunities
• Explore the potential value of an incentive program for employers to develop psychological health
and safety programs

8 | Mental Health Strategy

3. Partner proactively with supporting organizations, agencies,
and providers
• Share ideas and collaborate with key players in the public and private sectors
• Provide funding to advance mental health knowledge and expertise
• Work with health care providers and their associations to build relationships, address challenges,
clarify objectives, and provide consistent messaging

4. Provide evidence-informed treatment and resources

• Further develop our robust, responsive suite of treatment options, and ensure staff can help injured
workers access them
• Partner with policy and practice teams to enhance our oversight model focused on consistent,
high-quality decision making for psychological-injury claims
• Continue to ensure our external treatment providers are providing evidence-informed treatment
• Invest further in learning about and researching new and evolving practices
• Continue to expand our network of external treatment providers for assessment and treatment
• Support workers and employers at each point on the continuum of recovery and return to work,
through strategic integrated partnerships between Claims and Rehabilitation Services, workplaces,
and Prevention Services

5. Be a visible leader as an employer

• Work toward an industry-leading psychological health and safety program for WorkSafeBC’s
employees
• Lead by example, engaging in ongoing conversations with our employees about mental health
• Set clear expectations and support behaviours effectively

Intended outcomes
• Short term: Increased awareness of and support for the importance of building and maintaining
a psychologically healthy and safe workplace, among employers and workers
• Medium term: Improved outcomes for psychological-injury claims, including safe and timely
return to work and reduced human and financial costs for workers and their employers
• Long term: Reduced claim volumes as workplace psychological health and safety culture matures

Measures
We are working to establish baseline measures wherever possible and will develop a measurement
and evaluation framework to ensure we are progressing toward our intended outcomes.

Implementation
This strategy will be implemented over the next three years and will be reviewed annually to reflect
learnings and events that result in any substantial shift in our approach.

9 | Mental Health Strategy

Appendix: Biographies of expert
panellists
Dr. Dan Bilsker is a psychologist who provides consultation to organizations in the area of
psychological health and safety. His academic appointments are clinical assistant professor, Faculty
of Medicine, University of British Columbia, and adjunct professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon
Fraser University. He is co-director of Vancouver Psych Health & Safety. His research activities have
focused on psychological health and safety in organizations, evidence-based practice in health care,
mental health issues in men, psychological assessment in the emergency psychiatric setting, methods
to enhance psychological self-care at a population level, and identity development in early adulthood.
He has consulted for the Mental Health Commission of Canada, WorkSafeBC, the B.C. Ministry of
Health, and a wide range of public and private organizations, creating resources to measure and
enhance psychological safety. These resources include the Antidepressant Skills Workbook (a self-
care tool disseminated to several million people worldwide), the 5RF Resilience Workbook (for first
responders), and the Employers’ Action Guide to Psychological Health & Safety.

Dr. Maureen Dollard is an Australian Research Council Kathleen Fitzpatrick Laureate Fellow,
director of the PSC Observatory, University of South Australia, and honorary professor at the
University of Nottingham. She is the founder of the Psychosocial Safety Climate (PSC) theory. She
has published six edited books and 200 papers/book chapters, and has been cited more than 19,000
times. Maureen is a board member of the International Commission on Occupational Health and
served on the editorial board for Work and Stress, the Journal of Organizational Behavior, and the
European Journal of Work & Organisational Psychology, and is past foundation president of the Asia
Pacific Academy for Psychosocial Factors at Work.

Dr. Merv Gilbert is a director at Vancouver Psych Health + Safety Ltd., a consulting group providing
services that enable organizations to foster psychologically healthy employees and workplace climates.
He has worked as a psychologist for over 30 years in clinical and leadership roles in regional, provincial,
and international settings. Dr. Gilbert has been an adjunct professor with the Faculty of Health Sciences
at Simon Fraser University and a member of the Steering Committee of American Psychological
Association’s Psychologically Healthy Workplace Network. He is a primary participant in the
development, evaluation, and dissemination of resources for workplace mental health, including
Guarding Minds@Work, Antidepressant Skills@Work, and Psychological Health and Safety: An
Action Guide for Employers. Dr. Gilbert has published in national and international professional
journals and has presented at a diverse array of forums on the importance of workplace psychological
health issues for individuals and organizations. He has consulted with governmental, private and
public-sector organizations. He recently led an evaluation of 40+ organizations as they implemented
the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace on behalf of
the Mental Health Commission of Canada.

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Dr. Stavroula Leka is professor of Organisations, Work & Health at Lancaster University (U.K.)
and director of the Centre for Organisational Health & Well-being. She is also emeritus professor
of Work & Health Policy at the University of Nottingham. She is a fellow of the Academy of Social
Sciences and the Higher Education Authority, honorary fellow of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine
in Ireland, and associate fellow of the British Psychological Society. She is president of the European
Academy of Occupational Health Psychology and Board member of the International Commission on
Occupational Health. Dr. Leka’s main research interests are the translation of occupational health and
safety knowledge into policy and practice; work organization and the management of the psychosocial
work environment for business and societal sustainability; and creating healthy work environments and
promoting mental health and well-being in the workplace. She co-led the development of ISO 45003,
the first international standard on psychological health and safety in the workplace. She has received
an early-career achievement award by the American Psychological Association for outstanding
contribution in occupational health psychology, has been invited as keynote speaker to a number
of international conferences and has been expert advisor to various organizations, including the
European Commission and Parliament, ILO, ISSA, and WHO.

Dr. Peter Smith is the president and senior scientist at the Institute for Work & Health in Toronto.
He is also a professor (status only) in the department of epidemiology and the Dalla Lana School of
Public Health at the University of Toronto. He is a previous recipient of a New Investigator Award from
the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) (2008–2013), a Discovery Early Career Researcher
Award from the Australian Research Council (2012–2015), and a CIHR Chair in Gender, Work and Health
(2014–2018). His major research interests include the examination of how working conditions, in
particular the psychosocial work environment, impact health; methods to integrate concepts of gender
and sex into secondary data analyses; and understanding how changes in nature and availability of
work in the Canadian market impact approaches to the primary and secondary prevention of work-related
injury and illness. He has published more than 200 peer-reviewed papers in the area of work and health
and is the deputy editor of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, part of the BMJ group, and one
of the most respected occupational health journals internationally.

11 | Mental Health Strategy

Endnotes
1. Deloitte Insights. (2019). The ROI in Workplace Mental Health Programs: Good for People, Good for
Business.

2. Deloitte Insights. (2019). The ROI in Workplace Mental Health Programs: Good for People, Good for
Business.

3. Mental Health Commission of Canada. (n.d.). Workplace mental health.

4. Government of British Columbia. (2019). A Pathway to Hope: A Roadmap for Making Mental Health
and Addictions Care Better for People in British Columbia.

5. WorkSafeBC. (2023). Psychological Injury Claims (Mental Disorder Claims) 2018 to 2022.

6. Howatt, L. Bradley, J. Adams, S. Mahajan, and S. Kennedy. (2018). Understanding Mental Health,
Mental Illness and Their Impacts in the Workplace. Mental Health Commission of Canada.

7. Canadian Mental Health Association in partnership with the University of British Columbia and
Maru/Matchbox. (2021). Summary of findings: Mental health impacts of COVID-19: Round 3.

8. P. Smetanin, D. Stiff, C. Briante, C.E. Adair, S. Ahmad, and M. Khan. (2011). The Life and Economic
Impact of Major Mental Illnesses in Canada: 2011 to 2041. Prepared for the Mental Health
Commission of Canada by RiskAnalytica.

9. Employment and Social Development Canada. (2016). Psychological Health in the Workplace.

12 | Mental Health Strategy