Senior managers’ perceptions of mental health and organizational intervention strategies for improving mental health and well-being

Purpose This study aimed to explore senior managers’ mental models regarding perceptions of mental health and how these perceptions might inform intervention strategies. Design/methodology/approach The study is part of a broader European project aiming to design, develop, implement and validate assessment, intervention and evaluation toolkits to promote mental health in the workplace across Europe. Thirty-two semi-structured interviews were conducted among senior managers as part of a needs analysis in small-to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and public workplaces in four European countries (Italy, Spain, Czech Republic and Germany) in 2020 and 2021. Findings The results showed that the interviewed senior managers had two different mental models regarding their perception of mental health, which differed with respect to the conceptualization and thereby their perception of strategies for organizational interventions for improving mental health and well-being. The individual-centric mental model is focused on problem solving and treatment of mental illness at only the individual level. The holistic multilevel mental model is focused on mental illness as well as mental health and well-being at multiple levels of the organization through prevention and promotion strategies. The senior managers' mental models seem to inform their perceptions of suitable strategies for organizational interventions for improving mental health and well-being. Originality/value The study supports previous calls for more research on how senior managers’ perception of mental health inform their strategies when planning for organizational interventions.