Research & Insights for Workplace Wellbeing

Explore open-access research and evidence, expert insights, and practical frameworks, carefully curated and summarised, with clear takeaways to support confident, informed decision-making across the workplace wellbeing industry.

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Best Practice Indicators in Workplace Mental Health Promotion: Development and Expert Validation

Carlos Montes; Artur Hernández; Carlos Dopico-Casal

Health Promotion International

2025 October

DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daaf147

Oxford University Press

Licence Label: CC BY 4.0

This study asks a simple but important question: what does good workplace mental health promotion actually look like?

The authors reviewed international guidance and research, then asked experienced occupational health experts to judge which practical indicators really define best practice. Out of 67 proposed measures, 27 were validated. The strongest agreement was around long-term commitment, visible leadership support, safe ways for employees to raise concerns, mental health training for managers, reducing stigma, structured return-to-work processes, and proper evaluation using objective data.

In short, good workplace mental health promotion is not a one-off campaign. It is built into how an organisation is run, measured, supported by leadership, and sustained over time.

This paper gives you something concrete: a validated checklist.

It confirms that:

  • Mental health should be embedded in decision-making, not bolted on.

  • Leadership capability is central.

  • Communication channels must feel psychologically safe.

  • Programmes must be evaluated properly, not just launched.

If you are building or reviewing a strategy, these indicators help you move from “activity” to “standard”. They also support conversations with senior leadership by framing mental health as governance and organisational quality,  not just employee benefit.

© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press. The original work remains the intellectual property of the authors and publisher. Commentary by The Well Crowd. © The Well Crowd Ltd. 2026. All rights reserved. This content provides a summary and independent commentary on the original research and does not reproduce the original publication. It is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional or medical advice. No part of this content may be reproduced or distributed without prior written permission.

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