Listening for Direction: The Development and Optimization of Workplace Mental Wellness Programs for Men

Time: 11:00 AM PST

Co-Host: This webinar is co-hosted by the Institute for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention, UBC Okanagan campus.  ​

The workplace has been recognized as a promising setting for implementing mental wellness initiatives with men yet many programs hold little “manly” appeal, and consequently fail to engage men in the workplace. A gender-sensitized workplace mental wellness program called HEADS Up was developed based on a systematic review of the literature as well as feedback from workplace representatives and men working in male-dominated industries. The new HEADS Up program will be described, along with strategies for supporting men’s mental health identified in the systematic literature review. In addition, insights into avenues for the promotion of mental health in the workplace from working men as well as the input of seven workplace representatives in health and safety roles will be summarized.

You will learn:

• About the current literature on mental health promotion interventions for men, including the principles informing and patterns underpinning effective programs
• Strategies for designing acceptable workplace approaches for the promotion of mental wellness based on recommendations from working men and workplace representatives
• About the development of a new program called HEADS Up to support men’s mental well-being

Presenters:

Dr. Cherisse Seaton holds a PhD in Psychology, and is the Research Coordinator for the Men’s Healthy eating and Active Living Project at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus (UBCO) and an adjunct professor at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC). She was a Co-Principal Investigator of the HEADS Up project, developing a new program designed to promote mental well-being in male-dominated workplaces.

Dr. John Oliffe is a Professor at the School of Nursing, University of British Columbia. His internationally recognized research is focused on gender and health, particularly men’s health. The findings drawn from his studies and collaborations have featured in more than 200 academic conferences and workshops, and over 100 peer-reviewed publications. He is a Co-investigator on both the Men’s Healthy Eating and Active Living project and the HEADS Up project.