Positive mental health in the workplace and suicide prevention is at the heart of a new study being conducted by the University of Melbourne.

Researchers are teaming-up with employers, employees, unions and advocacy groups to assess the state of mental health for the Australian worker, and see what can be done to make people’s working lives as trouble-free as possible.

The study is being undertaken in the planning stages of The Thriving Workplaces project. It will assess an integrated approach to mental health by focusing on skills that prevent job stress, promote positive mental health and prevent work-related suicides. The study will see specialists build on the complete state of mental health model developed by Professor Corey Keyes from Emory University in the United States.

Dr Kathryn Page, from the School of Population and Global Health at the University of Melbourne says: “Employees need to find meaning in their work, attain a sense of fulfilment and engagement and have positive workplace relationships to experience workplace wellbeing. We also need to ensure that workplaces are psychologically healthy and safe in order for work to be good for employee mental health.”

The Thriving Workplaces project is set to provide the opportunity to members of mental-health foundation SuperFriend’s partners and workplaces to participate in a revolutionary research and intervention project.