What is a psychologically healthy and safe workplace?
- Aislin Campbell
- Jul 22
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 25
Creating a psychologically healthy and safe workplace isn’t about launching a few isolated initiatives. Meaningful and systematic change comes from taking an integrated approach: where systems, leadership and culture work together to prevent harm and create workplaces where workers can thrive.
What is an Integrated Approach?
An integrated approach means psychological health and safety isn’t siloed in HR, WHS, or wellbeing. Instead, it's woven through:
Leadership and governance
HR, WHS and operational systems
Everyday conversations and behaviours
It acknowledges that psychological health and safety is shaped by the way work is designed, how people are supported, and how risks are managed; just like physical safety.
The Three Pillars of a Psychologically Healthy and Safe Workplace
A strong, integrated approach rests on three interconnected pillars. Each informs and reinforces the others:
1. Prevent Harm
This is the starting point and a legal requirement. It involves
Identifying, managing and continuously reviewing psychosocial hazards like excessive workload, role conflict, or poor change management using a risk management process.
Embedding psychosocial risk management into your existing WHS systems
Upskilling leaders to manage psychosocial risk and lead with empathy
2. Support Recovery
Even with strong prevention practices, challenges can arise. A psychologically healthy and safe workplace ensures:
Clear and compassionate response pathways for psychological injury, bullying, or critical incidents
Managers know how to have conversations when someone’s struggling
Return-to-work processes are trauma-informed and recovery-oriented
3. Promote good work
Culture shifts when we invest in skills, knowledge, and leadership. This includes:
Designing work to enhance the positive aspects of work, beyond minimum compliance.
Creating mastery for people at work or making work stimulating.
Strengthening team and peer support.
Improving mental health literacy across the organisation.
Work can and should have a positive impact on our mental health.
Why manage psychological health and safety?
Final Thought
A psychologically healthy workplace doesn’t happen by accident and it’s not the result of a single training session or wellbeing week. It’s a continuous, organisation-wide effort to prevent harm, support workers, and build a culture where psychological health and safety is embedded in our work - not just something we react to when things go wrong.
If you’re ready to move from ad hoc to integrated, now’s the time to act. Contact info@safeworkpsychology.com.au for further information or support.
