Research Proposal: Workplace Mental Health and Organizational Support

This research proposal explores the critical issue of mental health in the workplace, recognizing the significant amount of time adults spend at their jobs and the subsequent impact on their overall well-being. It highlights the prevalence of mental health problems like anxiety and depression among employees, often exacerbated by workplace stressors. The proposal aims to identify factors influencing employee mental health, assess the impact of the work environment, and recommend organizational strategies to improve employee well-being and productivity. It reviews existing literature on mental health risks, supportive management, and the creation of a healthy workplace. The research will employ a positivism philosophy, utilizing quantitative and qualitative approaches to gather data and formulate actionable recommendations for organizations to support their employees' mental health and reduce associated costs, such as lost productivity. The proposal outlines research objectives, questions, and methodological considerations, including data collection and analysis, to provide a comprehensive framework for investigating this important issue. The research underscores the need for organizations to proactively address mental health concerns and create supportive environments to promote employee well-being and overall business success.

Running head: RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2
RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
Abstract............................................................................................................................................3
Title:.................................................................................................................................................4
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Overview......................................................................................................................................4
Aims and Objectives of the Research..............................................................................................5
Research aims..............................................................................................................................5
Research Objectives.....................................................................................................................5
Research Question.......................................................................................................................6
Literature Review............................................................................................................................6
Mental Health at the Workplace..................................................................................................6
Mental-health risk factors at the workplace.................................................................................7
Risks associated with mental health............................................................................................7
Creating a healthy workplace......................................................................................................8
Research Methodology....................................................................................................................9
Research Philosophy....................................................................................................................9
Research Approach......................................................................................................................9
Research Design........................................................................................................................10
Research Strategy......................................................................................................................10
Data collection and Sampling....................................................................................................11

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Data Analysis.............................................................................................................................11
Structure of the Paper....................................................................................................................12
Time frame.....................................................................................................................................13
References......................................................................................................................................14

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Abstract
An adult generally spends a significant portion of his life in the workplace, and it is
because of this reason that the workplace is often known as the second home of the employee.
The second home of the employee needs to be a place such that, the employee will always feel
comfortable in the workplace and in connection to this, the employee would also be required to
handle at the comfort and a stress-free atmosphere. However, this is not the case, and the
employees at the workplace are often exposed to a variety of office problems which generally
tend to have an overall impact on their overall wellbeing and mental awareness. Hence, in line of
this, the given research will be focusing on the literature will be related to the factors which have
an overall influence on the performance of the employees and how the organization can
undertake specific initiatives which will then assist them in overcoming these problems and
improving the wellbeing. Hence, it is line of this, that the particular research proposal is aimed at
presenting the ideas for the research which may help the different organizations to make
decisions in favour of the firm. In addition to this, the proposal has also highlighted an overall
outline of the contents of the research study, which will take place if the project is accepted. In
line of this, the reason why the proposal has been presented is that it lies the social as well as the
moral duty of the different organizations where the employees are involved to ensure that they
can make adequate decisions which will assist them in building stronger relationships with the
different employees. This shall not only support the various employees in maintaining a job but
shall also help the firm in saving the missing productivity costs of the business.

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Title: Organizational support contributing to support the mental health and wellbeing of their
employees
Introduction
Overview
Psychological stress at work directly due to work itself or because work has been a
contributing factor. In place of this, according to Baggio et al. (2015), approximately 31% of the
employees at work have been diagnosed with a severe health issue, which is a result of work
itself. The most common mental health problems which the different employees at the workplace
have been diagnosed with can be understood to be the problems like anxiety and depression. In
addition to this, a majority of the employees being diagnosed with this issue, it is just 13% of
them who are comfortable about talking to their immediate managers about the problem which is
prevalent at the workplace. This, therefore, poses a considerable threat which can be stated to be
existent in this line of work whereby the different employees are not comfortable in discussing
their issues with their seniors or seeking help.
If these employees are able to explain themselves clearly and are able to ensure that they
are able to seek help then in such a scenario, it will become considerably possible for the
organization to come up with various techniques and procedures which shall assist them in
getting over with the different mentally ill and unstable people as present can be helped and can
be supported adequately (Cortès-Franch et al., 2018). In line with this, although the organizations
often employ various psychologists and related help for work these helpers or specialists are only
used to singly assisting the different employees and for only specific problems which makes it
considerably difficult for the various employees to find an ultimate solution for the different
issues being faced.

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Hence, in connection with this, there exists a two-way loss where not only the employees at the
workplace but also the organizations tend to suffer considerable damage (Chao et al., 2015). This
is because in countries like the United Kingdom approximately 70 million workdays are lost
each year to the different mental health problems being suffered by the different employees, and
this comes at £2.4 billion in one year. However, in consideration of this, loss due to the mental
health issues have come up to £225 billion in one year. Hence, after understanding the particular
research will aim to provide a solution to this and devise manners in which the organizations will
be able to best support mental health and overall wellbeing of the employees as present (Clement
et al., 2015).
Aims and Objectives of the Research
Research aims
The research is aimed at finding a solution to the problem of mental illness, which takes
place at the workplace and due to the workplace pressures on an individual. In this domain, the
study will be first analysing the different factors which generally tend to cause stress, the anxiety
of another kind of illness which takes place at the workplace. Moreover, after the sources of the
weight as well as the problems will be found, in support of this, the research will aim to see the
impact of the workplace environment on the individual stress level and in line with this, the
study will also seek to recommend ways in which the organization can undertake considerable
steps and measures to improve the same scenario.
Research Objectives
The research objectives which the research paper aims to meet can be understood to be as
follows;

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1. To find the factors which generally tend to influence the mental health of the employees
at the workplace.
2. To find how managers can assist the employees.
3. To understand how the factors influence the overall mental health of the employees
4. To recommend ways in which the organization can take adequate steps to ensure that
they can help the different employees at the workplace and help to overcome their
problems.
Research Question
The different research questions which the paper aims to answer can be understood to be as
follows:
1. Which factors generally tend to influence the mental health of the employees at the
workplace?
2. What are how managers can assist employees?
3. What are how the factors influence the overall mental health of the employees
4. What recommendations in the organization can take adequate steps to ensure that they
can help the different employees at the workplace and help to overcome their problems?
Literature Review
Mental Health at the Workplace
The work can be understood to be good for mental health, but very often, a negative
working environment can lead to significant physical as well as psychological issues. The
depression, as well as anxiety, is generally known to have considerable impacts on the global
economy and a substantial amount of income has been lost in productivity during the particular

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point of time (Tetrick & Winslow, 2015). In addition to the work-related issues, the harassment
as well as the bullying at the workplace are commonly reported problems and generally tend to
have considerable adverse effects on the health of the different employees. In line of this, it
becomes critical to note that actions need to be undertaken by the various firms to ensure that the
employees are fit and that, they engage in better productivity. According to NHS England
(2014), the different workplaces which tend to promote the mental health and support people
with disorders generally tend to reduce absenteeism, increase the productivity at the workplace
and the organization tends to benefit from the associated economic gains.
Mental-health risk factors at the workplace
To disrupt the overall mental health and wellbeing of the different employees, there are
various factors present in the workplace, which lead to these problems being faced by the
different employees. According to Silverman (2016), there exist multiple risks related to
interactions which tend to disrupt the organizational, as well as the managerial environment and
some of these, often tend to include the lack of skills and related competencies of the employees,
support available from the employers, politics which takes place at workplace, lack of proper
amenities at work and related issues which often exist during the particular work environment.
However, in similar to this, the unsupportive management which exists at the workplace can be
understood to be one of the most prevalent factors at the workplace which generally causes a lot
of stress to the different employees who are usually present at the workplace (Fletcher, 2017).
Risks associated with mental health
According to Mental health and palliative care: Literature review (2008), it can be
primarily understood that there are quite a number of impacts of the workplace factors and
related stress on the overall wellbeing of the different employees and some of these issues can be

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understood to be related to the inadequate health and safety policies. When there exists a lack of
proper health and safety policies then in such a case, the workplace will be significantly
impacted, and there is a considerable threat on all the employees as present (Fletcher, 2017).
Additionally, the poor communication and management practices which tend to take place also
tend to have a long term impact on the different employees as present and might hamper the
overall confidence of the various employees as well. Mental Health at work Report (2017) states
that, the limited participation which tends to take place in the field of decision making or low
control over the area of work, may also impact the overall area of work and may tend to affect
the anxiety as well as the stress level of the different employees as present in the workplace.
Creating a healthy workplace
In this domain, the different organizations have often come up with a set of regulations
and legislation, which are aimed at ensuring that a healthy workplace is achieved. A healthy
workplace can be described as one where the employees, as well as the managers, tend to
contribute to the work environment adequately without any discrimination. Hence, it lies the
overall duty of the organization to ensure that, they can protect the mental health of the different
employees at the workplace by promoting support and also by ensuring that they can aim at the
overall strengths of the employees as present. Moreover, they also need to undertake steps to
ensure that work-related risk factors can be reduced adequately.
According to Katikireddi, Niedzwiedz and Popham (2016), the different organizations
have an essential duty towards the organization, and in line of this, it becomes their sole
responsibility of the employers to support these mental disorder individuals by helping them to
continue working or returning to work. If these employees are left unemployed, then in such a

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case, this shall have a detrimental impact on the overall mental health of the individuals.
Therefore, evidence-based treatments need to be provided to them.
Research Methodology
Research Philosophy
The research philosophy can be understood to be how the overall data collection will take
place and also decides on how the study approach can be carried out. The research philosophy
which will be adopted for the paper can be understood to be the Positivism philosophy, which
makes use of factual data through the knowledge (Flick, 2015).
Justification for the Research Philosophy
The reason why this philosophy is adopted is that it will help in researching
quantitatively. Moreover, the views of the different employees and related respondents can be
well collected with the help of this approach.
Research Approach
The research approach can be understood to be how the research is generally planned and
the different type of assumptions which are adopted accordingly. In association with this, the
Research approach helps in understanding how the data collection and analysis is carried out. For
this study, the deductive research approach will be adopted as it will contribute towards
understanding how to extract information or deduce it from the data as collected.
Justification for the Research Approach

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The reason why the deductive research approach is being chosen for the research can be
stated to be because, it will assist deducing the different conclusions from the respondent data
which will be collected from the respondents and in line of this, the research aim will be
achieved from the same.
Research Design
The descriptive research design will be adopted for the research to understand how the
factors at the workplace generally tend to have an impact on the workplace as a whole (Ledford
& Gast, 2018).
Justification for the Research Design
The reason why the descriptive research design shall be suitable for the particular
research can be stated to be because, this design will assist the different researchers in describing
the manner in which the various factors at the workplace have an impact on the overall mental
health of the employees and how the organization can be supportive in this and help them
(Quinlan et al., 2019).
Research Strategy
The Quantitative research strategy will be adopted for the research. In this research
strategy, the data shall be collected with the help of a survey. Moreover, the relationship between
the factors causing workplace stress and their impact on the overall importance shall be
examined using quantitative analysis (Kumar, 2019).
Justification for the Research Strategy

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The reason why the quantitative research strategy is understood to be more useful in this
case is that it shall assist in finding the impact of the independent factor on the dependent factor
and also drive to know how the firm can perform and support the different employees to cope up
with these issues.
Data collection and Sampling
The data shall be collected using the medium of surveys, and hence, the data collection
method can be understood to be the primary quantitative data collection method. A sample size
of 300 participants will be selected by making use of the Simple Random Probability analysis,
and these respondents will be asked questions relating to the overall workplace stress and its
impact on their employees.
Justification for the Data collection and Sampling
The reason why this technique will be adopted is that it will serve the objective of the
research. Moreover, through the surveys, the views of the respondents can be understood, and
how they would like the organization to support themselves can be realized.
Data Analysis
The quantitative method of data analysis will be adopted for the study. In this approach,
the statistical tools and analysis will be made use of as a medium to analyse the data which will
be collected from the participants (Fletcher, 2017). The purpose of the Likert scale in the survey
questions will contribute towards understanding the impact of the independent variable on the
dependent variable.

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Justification for the Data analysis
The analytical manner of data analysis will be chosen for the research can be stated to be
because it will help in understanding the impact of the dependent variable on the independent
variable and help in identifying how the firm will be able to ensure long term success.
Structure of the Paper
The structure of the paper can be understood to be as follows:
Chapter Content
Introduction Will focus on the overview of the study and
will define the research aims, objectives and
questions.
Literature Review Will give an explicit detail and related study
in the field of mental illness at the workplace
and initiatives to be taken by employers
Research Methodology Will derive the research techniques adopted
for the research
Findings and Analysis Will present then findings and analyse the
same with the help of the quantitative analysis
using statistical analysis and procedures.
Conclusions Will summarize the study.

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Time frame

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References
Baggio, S., Iglesias, K., Deline, S., Studer, J., Henchoz, Y., Mohler-Kuo, M., & Gmel, G. (2015).
Not in education, employment, or training status among young Swiss men. Longitudinal
associations with mental health and substance use. Journal of Adolescent health, 56(2),
238-243.
Chao, M. C., Jou, R. C., Liao, C. C., & Kuo, C. W. (2015). Workplace stress, job satisfaction,
job performance, and turnover intention of health care workers in rural Taiwan. Asia
Pacific Journal of Public Health, 27(2), NP1827-NP1836.
Clement, S., Schauman, O., Graham, T., Maggioni, F., Evans-Lacko, S., Bezborodovs, N., ... &
Thornicroft, G. (2015). What is the impact of mental health-related stigma on help-
seeking? A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies. Psychological
medicine, 45(1), 11-27.
Cortès-Franch, I., Escribà-Agüir, V., Benach, J., & Artazcoz, L. (2018). Employment stability
and mental health in Spain: towards understanding the influence of gender and
partner/marital status. BMC public health, 18(1), 425.
Fletcher, A. J. (2017). Applying critical realism in qualitative research: methodology meets
method. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 20(2), 181-194.
Flick, U. (2015). Introducing research methodology: A beginner's guide to doing a research
project. Sage.

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Katikireddi, S. V., Niedzwiedz, C. L., & Popham, F. (2016). Employment status and income as
potential mediators of educational inequalities in population mental health. The
European Journal of Public Health, 26(5), 814-816.
Kumar, R. (2019). Research methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners. Sage Publications
Limited.
Ledford, J. R., & Gast, D. L. (2018). Single case research methodology: Applications in special
education and behavioral sciences. Routledge.
Mental health and palliative care: Literature review (2008). Mental Health foundation.
Mental Health at work Report (2017). Business in the Community. Available at
https://wellbeing.bitc.org.uk/system/files/research/bitcmental_health_at_work_report-
2017.pdf
NHS England (2014) Improving general practice: A call to action
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/emerging-findings-rep.pdf
Quinlan, C., Babin, B., Carr, J., & Griffin, M. (2019). Business research methods. South Western
Cengage.
Schnall, P. L., Dobson, M., Rosskam, E., & Elling, R. H. (2018). Unhealthy work: Causes,
consequences, cures. Routledge.
Silverman, D. (Ed.). (2016). Qualitative research. Sage.
Tetrick, L. E., & Winslow, C. J. (2015). Workplace stress management interventions and health
promotion. Annu. Rev. Organ. Psychol. Organ. Behav., 2(1), 583-603.