Psych Health and Safety Podcast

In this episode, Australian hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr William Fleming, Research Fellow at the Wellbeing Research Centre in the University of Oxford. William shares insights from his research that shone a light on the ineffectiveness of individual-level interventions for mental health outcomes in workplace settings.

In this discussion, Steven Mah, a seasoned keynote speaker and safety professional from WorkSafe BC, shares his expertise on workplace culture as a key psychosocial factor. He delves into the vital link between organizational dynamics and employee well-being. Mah highlights the iceberg model to reveal the hidden elements of culture affecting engagement and mental health. He emphasizes the significance of recognition and strong leadership in fostering a supportive environment, encouraging organizations to prioritize psychological safety and open communication.

In this special live recording episode of the Psych Health and Safety podcast from PHSCON 2024, Australian co-hosts Jason van Schie and Joelle Mitchell chat with Professor Christina Maslach about her foundational research on burnout. They talk about the initial inspiration for why Christina chose to focus her research on the topic and how the understanding of burnout has evolved since she first coined the term. They discuss burnout misconceptions, and the best ways to prevent burnout at work from the evidence-base.

In this episode, UK hosts Peter and Kate chat with Nancy Hey, Director of Evidence & Insight at Lloyd's Register Foundation. Nancy shares her broad strategic perspective on workplace wellbeing and psychosocial safety within the wider context of social determinants of health. She speaks to the significant role of leaders and in particular middle managers, and emphasises the importance of upskilling these roles appropriately to set them up for success.

In this lively discussion, Michael Leiter, Professor Emeritus at Acadia University and renowned expert on burnout, shares his insights from 'The Burnout Challenge.' He emphasizes that workplace design is pivotal in preventing burnout. Leiter offers practical tips for individuals to manage burnout symptoms and suggests actionable strategies for leaders to enhance their team's mental well-being. The conversation also highlights the complexities of workplace relationships and the role of civility and supportive systems in fostering a healthier work environment.

THIS IS A REPLAY OF EPISODE #207 The Psych Health and Safety Podcast will be returning 14th January 2025! In this episode Australian hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr John Fitzgerald, Mentally Healthy Work Lead at WorkSafe New Zealand. We explore a research report recently published by WorkSafe examining the role of work factors in suicide. John details the research purpose, methodology, and findings, and shares his key takeaway messages arising from the research. https://www.worksafe.govt.nz/research/work-related-suicide-examining-the-role-of-work-factors-in-suicide/

In this engaging conversation, Dr. Benjamin Ostrowski, a Senior Behavioural Researcher at Atlassian with a PhD in organizational behaviour, shares his insights on distributed work teams. He discusses the importance of intentional team design and showcases how remote collaboration tools can enhance productivity. The talk also touches on finding the balance between flexible communication patterns and maintaining team cohesion. Additionally, Dr. Ostrowski advocates for inclusive mental health practices, emphasizing the need for authenticity in the workplace.

THIS IS A REPLAY OF EPISODE #85 FROM THE PSYCH HEALTH AND SAFETY PODCAST CANADA The Psych Health and Safety Podcast will be returning 14th January 2025! In this episode Ian speaks with Dr. Sandra Moll and they discuss why and how the peer support apps PeerOnCall (https://www.oncallapp.ca/) and Beyond Silence (https://www.beyondsilence.ca/) can provide game-changing early intervention for public safety personnel and healthcare workers. Early intervention can prevent a significant degree of harm and suffering. Sandra describes the design, implementation, and function of the apps. Currently the apps are in a research phase where they are researching "what works for whom in what context" to optimize efforts. In the podcast we review how peer support fits in the continuum of workplace mental health recommended by the WHO and why apps and the real people they connect can have a great impact. Peer support is one of many tools and having the right service at the right time can be critical to obtaining early support. PeerOnCall evaluation research was funded by Movember, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). Beyond Silence research was funded by CIHR and PHAC. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the Government of Canada.

THIS IS A REPLAY OF EPISODE #192 The Psych Health and Safety Podcast will be returning 14th January 2025! In this episode Australian hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr. Cynthia Mathieu, Author and Professor of Organizational Behavior at Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières. We chat about her book, Dark Personalities in the Workplace, and her ongoing research into dark personalities in the workplace. https://cynthiamathieu.com/en/