Toolbox Talk: Mental Health at Work

Work-related mental health conditions (also known as psychological injuries) have become a major concern in Australian workplaces due to the negative impact on individual employees, and the costs associated with long periods away from work.

A workers’ mental health is seen as a continuum, ranging from good mental health to having a mental health condition (or mental illness).  Good mental health is at one end of the spectrum – represented by feeling good and functioning well – while mental health conditions  are at the other – represented by symptoms that affect people’s thoughts, feelings or behaviour. A person will vary in their position along this continuum at different points of their lives.

Toolbox Talk information should be tailored to the workplace in accordance with this guidance material.  Once the Toolbox Talk has been communicated and employees have been consulted, and had their views heard, records of discussions and actions should be recorded on the Toolbox Talk Record Form.

Guidance notes are shown italicised.