The Mental Health Toolkit – Drum contributes to building a more humane working life

Sick leaves due to mental health problems are a major problem. Reducing them by half has been set as a target in the government programme. Mental health disorders are also the biggest cause of work disability, along with musculoskeletal disorders. Workplaces can not only promote mental health and prevent problems from arising, but also address them and take corrective measures. The lack of tools or policies in the workplace can be a hindrance. Mental health issues can also be perceived as challenging and difficult to approach.

The project aims to provide workplaces with tools to promote mental health at work. To this end, a toolkit has been created which can be freely used by workplaces and occupational health professionals. The project also aims to raise the profile of mental health issues in the workplace as a topic for discussion. Humanity at work and economic productivity often seem to be opposing goals, but this doesn’t have to be the case. Healthy employees produce better results.

The work was initiated with the creation of a coherent and recognisable communication concept. Visualisation and concreteness were central to this: a physical mental health toolkit was designed as a project symbol, which has been used in all project communication. The branded toolkits are also used by the institute’s experts on client visits and at various events. The project’s complex web address was simplified to työkalupakki.fi.

In addition to mental health tools, the focus of the communication was on encounters: the institute’s experts and the support they provide to workplaces. The toolkit and its tools have been widely communicated through different channels. The communication has been carried out with messages targeted at different audiences and circumstances. Measures have included media communication, social media content, targeted advertising, webinars, user stories, various marketing materials and videos.