Opening Keynote: Work Shouldn’t Be a Risk Factor: Rethinking Mental Health in the Workplace

Wednesday, March 12, 2025
8:30 AM – 
9:30 AM
Mystic

Join our keynote speakers as they address the overlooked connection between workplace psychosocial hazards (e.g. job insecurity, toxic leadership, and chronic stressors embedded in work environments) and their profound impact on mental health, including the risk of suicidal ideation and suicide. They'll speak to theory, along with the practical application of mental health well-being and mental illness, to reinforce that creating mentally healthy workplaces isn’t just about support services—it’s about redesigning conditions of work to prevent harm before it starts.

Learning Objectives
After completing this session, participants will be able to:
  1. Define the phrase workplace psychosocial factors.
  2. State at least three workplace psychosocial factors that can directly impact the mental health and well-being of an employee.
  3. Apply at least one strategy to mitigate workplace psychosocial hazards with their team and/or broader employee population.
  4. Identify leadership principles, workplace strategies and practices that they can implement in their workplaces to support positive mental health and well-being.
Jack Dennerlein
Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University
hutchinson
Boston University Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Susan Peters Profile_HiRes
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health