It’s Time To Prioritise Mental Health Support
October brings together National Safe Work Month and World Mental Health Day (on October 10th). It’s a timely reminder that workplace safety goes beyond the physical – where mental health and first aid go hand-in-hand.
With one in five Australians experiencing a mental health condition every year, psychosocial safety and mental health support – commonly referred to as mental health first aid – need to be part of every workplace.
How Mental Health Affects Your Workplace
Globally, workplaces have seen an increase in common psychosocial hazards such as:
- Stress from workload pressures and workplace environment
- Bullying, harassment, and discrimination
- Isolation and burnout
When left unaddressed, these issues impact both individuals and teams – leading to absenteeism, low productivity, and higher risk of workplace incidents.
Legal Duties Around Workplace Mental Health Support
Over the past decade, WHS has caught up to what businesses have always known: psychological health is just as important as physical health. Under recent legislation, “health” explicitly includes mental well-being. Employers now carry the duty to prevent psychosocial risks like stress, bullying, fatigue, and burnout.
Investing in mental health support and training helps organisations across Australia by meeting legal obligations, and create a safer and more supportive work environments.
This approach helps business and organisations:
- Recognise and intervene at early warning signs of distress
- Reduce stigma through open conversations and mental health support systems
- Support WHS compliance with psychosocial risk management
- Build safer, more resilient workplaces
When employees feel supported, they contribute more fully, collaborate more openly, and recover more quickly when challenges arise.
Creating Lasting Changes In Mental Health Support
Workplace mental health support only works when it’s embedded into everyday systems and culture. By ensuring teams are trained and compliant in first aid for mental health, you ensure broad level support and touchpoints for your team. At ABC First Aid, we work with our trusted training partners across Australia to provide accessible and practical mental health and safety training for your business or organisation.
Moving Towards Building A Culture Of Care
Introducing mental health support systems isn’t just a compliance exercise. It’s about creating workplaces where people feel valued, supported, and safe to speak up. A culture of care means normalising conversations around mental wellbeing, making support accessible, and ensuring leaders and reams are equipped to respond appropriately when issues arise.
With ABC First Aid, organisations can easily integrate accredited mental health support training delivered by our partners nationwide. Our programs are designed to be practical, inclusive, and adaptable – helping businesses meet WHS requirements while fostering a stronger, healthier workplace culture.
Take Action With Mental Health Support Training
We’re here to help – whether you’re an organisation looking for Mental Health Support training, or you’re a training organisation looking to expand your training offering with accredited modules under ABC First Aid’s Mental Health Support in the Workplace & Community.
To learn more, contact us on 1300 484 136 or get in touch at contact@abcfirstaid.com.au today.