Welcome to the Academia Toolkit
The Academia Worker Toolkit was developed using a two-pronged approach: 1) information about existing interventions from the academic literature and internet searches and 2) what we heard and learned from research participants in our worker surveys, worker interviews, and stakeholder interviews.
Review of Existing Interventions
Our research team reviewed existing academic literature and conducted internet searches for 1) interventions that were developed specifically for academia and 2) generic interventions from reputable sources that could potentially be tailored for use in academia.
HPW Worker Surveys
As part of a larger study of Canadian professional workers, 379 academics completed a survey about their experiences with mental health, leaves of absences, and return to work between November 2020 and May 2021.
60% (n = 226) reported having experienced a mental health issue over the course of their career or training.
Of these 226 academics, many made changes to their work and considered taking a leave of absence, but only 23% (n = 53) actually took a leave of absence.
HPW Worker and Stakeholder Interviews
Our research team conducted in-depth interviews with workers and stakeholders, in French or English between January and July 2021, addressing mental health, leaves of absence, and return to work pathways in academia. We conducted 34 interviews with academic workers with a range of characteristics and 18 interviews with a range of stakeholders, representing interests of unions, professional associations, supervisors/managers, universities, insurers, and those representing cross-cutting expertise.
Evidence-Informed Interventions
Our research team curated information on existing interventions and generated ideas from our own research for academic-specific interventions that take into consideration the unique environment and challenges in the academic profession and culture. These ideas for not (yet) existing interventions are intended to spur further discussion and empirical research aimed at developing interventions focusing on structural rather than individual-level change.
HPW Featured Resources
Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT)
The 3-hour mental health awareness training (MHAT) is one of the first scientifically evaluated workplace mental health training programs to result in changes in leaders’ behaviors, increased employee resource-use, and lower disability claim duration over time. The training provides leaders, managers, and front-line supervisors with the skills to respond to workplace mental health issues.
Crucial Conversations
Effective communication is essential for success in any workplace, as it can help build relationships, increase productivity, and create a positive work environment.Crucial Conversations is a course that teaches nine powerful skills for working through disagreement to achieve better results.
Not Myself Today
CMHA’s Not Myself Today workplace mental health programs, to build greater awareness about mental health, reduce stigma and to foster safe working cultures. This program is not intended to provide mental services directly to employees but instead geared towards the university administration or department to provide "turn key activities, and printed materials" and access to a members portal to create prorams that benefit the workplace at large.
The Working Mind
The Working Mind is a course given by the Mental Health Commission of Canada to promote the discussions around MH, reducing stigma, resiliency and how to approach those conversations. Faculty can experience mental health issues such as stress, burnout, and anxiety among others. Promoting mental health in the workplace and reducing stigma can lead to more supportive environments, better mental health outcomes and a reduction in discrimination.
Coworker Health Awareness Training
The 1.5-hour coworker health awareness training (CHAT) can be delivered in person or via online webinar. Employees are educated about mental health and mental health problems, how to practice self-care to help prevent and/or manage stress, how to take action when they recognize warning signs within themselves and others in the workplace, and how to navigate short and long-term disability and return-to-work.
Universities depend on the people they employ in order to function, and it is unavoidable that people will experience illness whether for physical or mental health reasons. Salary paid to employees who are away from work needs to be factored into university budgets such that funds are available to pay replacement staff.