Beyond Tea and Tissues: Protecting and Promoting Mental Health at Work

The business case for dealing with mental health and wellbeing in the workplace is absolutely clear. Not only are the workplace costs associated with poor mental health significant, but positive mental health (manifested as employee engagement and other positive mental health states) has been found to play a key role in organisational success.

Beyond Tea and Tissues will empower and educate mental health and employee wellbeing professionals, managers, HR practitioners, and employers across the spectrum with the insights, evidence and practical tools needed to protect employees, prevent harm and promote thriving.

This actionable handbook covers a wide of range of burning issues, such as:

- Understanding the role of the manager or HR practitioner in working with mental health problems

- Cultural issues to consider when managing mental health at work

- Identifying and managing personality, mood and anxiety disorders in the workplace

- Best practices for tackling workplace bullying or violence-prone people at work

- Recognising and assisting employees with addiction problems

- Helping employees work through difficult life experiences

- Practical strategies for managing a mental health crisis at work

- Early warning signs of mental health difficulties

- What to do if you suspect something is wrong

- What NOT to do after a mental health crisis

- And more!

Beyond Tea and Tissues offers ACTIONABLE STEPS that can be taken today, to optimise employee wellbeing and manage distress, trauma and mental illness in the workplace.

Prof Karen Milner is an Associate Professor of Psychology in the School of Human and Community Development at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg South Africa. She is registered as an Industrial/Organisational Psychologist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa. Her teaching and research interests are in the field of employee well-being and mental health at work. Karen has published extensively in the field of health and wellbeing (including mental health) in the workplace in both local and international journals.

udith Ancer is a Clinical Psychologist in private practice in Johannesburg, South Africa. She has worked both in inpatient and outpatient adult psychotherapy settings. For more than two decades she has worked as a supervisor and trainer of other mental health professionals in clinical, academic and organisational settings. She often gives talks and runs workshops and used to write a weekly column called Letting Grow on parenting and child development issues for the Sunday Times.