A recent study from Simon Fraser University challenges the widely held assumption that organisations have little influence over whether employees disclose mental health concerns. Despite the prevalence of mental health issues, with World Health Organisation data indicating that 15 per cent of adults experience such challenges, many organisations still see disclosure as a profoundly personal choice beyond their control. This perspective persists even in workplaces with established mental health programmes and resources, where support is often seen as secondary to an employee’s comfort with disclosure.

However, this assumption is directly contested by the study’s lead author, Zhanna Lyubykh, an assistant professor at the Beedie School of Business. “That’s just not what we saw in the data,” she asserts. Organisations can do a lot to encourage employees to disclose. Much comes down to employee perceptions of how their disclosure will be managed, within an organisation’s control. According to the study published in Human Resource Management, employees were 55 per cent more likely to disclose mental health concerns when they perceived their organisation as genuinely supportive. This finding challenges the notion that disclosure is a fixed, individual decision, instead positioning it as a dynamic response shaped by workplace culture.

The study highlights the crucial role that organisational support plays in fostering open communication about mental health. Lyubykh emphasises that a supportive workplace goes beyond simply avoiding discrimination or stigma. It is a place where employees feel their concerns will be heard and addressed meaningfully, and where accessing available supports feels straightforward and beneficial. This perspective reframes mental health support as a collective responsibility, directly tied to workers’ day-to-day experiences rather than just formal policies.

Much of this comes down to what Lyubykh describes as “social supports” — the subtle, often unspoken signals within a workplace that shape how safe employees feel discussing mental health. These signals include how managers and colleagues talk about mental health, how previous disclosures have been handled, and whether those who come forward receive meaningful support without undue bureaucratic hurdles. “People notice things and log them, sometimes consciously, sometimes not,” she explains. “Did a colleague who recently disclosed a mental health concern get sidelined for a promotion? Are open, supportive conversations about mental health happening regularly? Did it take a co-worker an unreasonable amount of time and paperwork to access the support they needed, only to find it lacking?”

This more profound understanding of workplace culture extends beyond mere policies to the lived realities of employees. Lyubykh’s research, which included two extensive survey-based studies, examined both employees’ willingness to disclose and the actual rates of disclosure and the impact of perceived support on broader organisational outcomes. The results were precise: low disclosure rates and poor perceptions of support were linked to higher absenteeism, increased anxiety, and lower overall performance, directly affecting an organisation’s bottom line. On the other hand, workplaces perceived as supportive saw tangible benefits, including reduced turnover, higher morale, and improved productivity.

With so much at stake, Lyubykh encourages organisations to assess and improve their workplace environments actively. She suggests adapting existing employee surveys to include specific questions about mental health, providing a concrete benchmark for tracking progress over time. “Organisations have both the responsibility and the power to make meaningful change,” she argues. “Change starts at the leadership level, where culture is shaped and reinforced. By creating environments where employees feel genuinely supported, organisations can not only reduce turnover and absenteeism but also foster a culture of trust and openness that benefits everyone.”

More information: Zhanna Lyubykh et al, Facilitating Mental Health Disclosure and Better Work Outcomes: The Role of Organizational Support for Disclosing Mental Health Concerns, Human Resource Management. DOI: 10.1002/hrm.22310

Journal information: Human Resource Management Provided by Simon Fraser University