The Superior Mental Wellness @ Work Advisory Group, coordinated by Thunder Bay District Health Unit (TBDHU), unveiled the Get Real photovoice project today at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery. The community exhibit showcases stories and photos from 37 people across the region relating to workplace mental health. The project aims to generate dialogue and inspire positive change towards reducing mental health stigma and improving psychological health and safety in the workplace.
Employee participants were invited to answer: (1) How do you really feel at work? or (2) How do you take care of your mental health at work? Each submission is unique, and collectively they shed light on a range of employee mental health experiences. The Get Real project is a mobile art exhibit that showcases selected participant entries. Since being developed in 2017, it has toured through 43 workplaces and conferences.
Data from a local survey conducted in partnership with the Lakehead University’s Enhancing the Prevention of Injury and Disability (EPID) at Work revealed that mental health stigma in workplaces increased after the COVID-19 pandemic. It also indicated that employee mental health is more important to employers, with chronic stress and burnout being a big concern.
The exhibit will be presented in the Thunder Bay Art Gallery’s Public Program Studio until April 29, 2025. Admission is free to view it.
The exhibit is fully mobile and available for loan for organizations that would like to display it in their workplace. A digital version is also available at the Superior Mental Wellness website along with many resources that promote mental health in the workplace.
Quotes
“We are delighted to be partnering with the Thunder Bay Art Gallery to keep the conversation about workplace mental health going. Everyone has their own story about how their job impacts their mental health and sharing personal experiences can be an effective way to reduce the stigma associated with talking openly about emotional wellbeing. The exhibit can be modified to fit any space and includes key takeaway information with helpful tips. It’s a great way to start a critical, and often overlooked, conversation. We hope the Get Real project is a starting point for workplace mental health efforts to continue.”
- Lynda Fraser, Health Promotion Planner, Thunder Bay District Health Unit
“Understanding the factors that influence workers’ mental health is key to taking preventive steps to ensure that company policies and practices are not the cause of psychological harm. Through our ground-breaking NOWWHS study research, we aim to support employers across Northwestern Ontario to gain insights into how the workplace is impacting the mental wellbeing of their staff.”
- Dr. Vicki Kristman, Director, EPID at Work Research Institute and Ontario Research Chair in Injury and Disability Prevention at Lakehead University
About Superior Mental Wellness @ Work
The Superior Mental Wellness @ Work project is a community partnership initiative coordinated by TBDHU. It involves over 20 organizations from multiple sectors, and aims to reduce psychological hazards and maintain positive mental health for employees across the Thunder Bay District. Complementary to the Get Real photovoice initiative, the project provides education opportunities and a variety of free resources.
About EPID@Work (https://www.lakeheadu.ca/centre/epid)
Enhancing the Prevention of Injury and Disability at Work is a research institute at Lakehead University, which conducts community-driven research in the areas of work-related injury and disability prevention with a particular focus on issues relevant to Northwestern Ontario.
NOWWHS Study: http://www.workinghealth.ca/
Media Contacts:
Lynda Fraser
Health Promotion Planner, TBDHU
(807) 625-5948
lynda.fraser@tbdhu.com
Vicki Kristman, PhD
Director & Senior Scientist, EPID@Work Research Institute
(807) 343-8010 ext. 7184
vkristma@lakeheadu.ca