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Should Mental Health Training Be Part of Management Development?

In recent years, the corporate world has started to recognize what psychologists and HR professionals have long known: employees don’t leave their mental health at the door when they walk into work. And increasingly, line managers are expected to support not just project outcomes, but the people behind them. But should mental health training be a standard part of management training programs?

Let’s explore what it involves, its potential benefits and pitfalls, and what actually happens in real-world scenarios where companies do (and don’t) include it.

Person wearing bright yellow safety jacket and hardhat looking sad, with hand on forehead. Caption reads: "Early in my career as a therapist, I often worked with people facing significant mental health challenges. And yet, many of them showed up to work every single day. They weren’t lazy or looking for an easy ride. For them, the workplace was a source of belonging, purpose, and structure, something that helped them keep going through difficult times." -Steve Conway, Director of Leadership and Psychological Safety, Manufacturing Safety Alliance of BC

What Is Mental Health Training for Managers?

Mental health training for managers equips leaders with the knowledge, confidence, and tools to recognize signs of distress, respond appropriately, and create psychologically safe environments. It’s not therapy, nor does it turn managers into counselors. Instead, it:

  • Helps them spot early warning signs of burnout, anxiety, or depression.
  • Teaches how to approach conversations around mental health.
  • Clarifies legal and organizational responsibilities.
  • Offers strategies for creating a mentally healthy workplace culture.

 

The Case For Mental Health Training: Business and Human Benefits

A recent study from the University of Nottingham (UK Campus) linked mental health training for line managers with improved business performance, especially in organizations that saw the training as essential, not optional. 

Pros:

  • Stronger team dynamics: Managers who understand mental health foster trust and openness.
  • Higher productivity: When mental health is supported, people simply perform better.
  • Better leadership: Training enhances soft skills like empathy, listening, and communication.
  • Lower turnover: Employees are more likely to stay in organizations that “get it.”

 

Possible Cons (and Challenges):

  • Time and budget: Training requires investment, which some organizations may struggle to justify upfront.
  • Manager discomfort: Not every leader is naturally empathetic or willing to have sensitive conversations.
  • Fear of overstepping: Managers may worry about crossing personal boundaries or legal lines.
  • One-and-done syndrome: Training without follow-through or culture change can fall flat.

 

Real-World Scenarios: Mental Health Training vs. Business As Usual

Scenario: Training Included

Several gears with various icons in them, including a mouse, a magnifying glass, and a lock. Caption reads: “LumaTech. Midsized IT Services Firm. Trigger: A sharp increase in stress-related sick days and exit interviews citing “poor management support” Action: The HR team partnered with a mental health nonprofit to roll out mandatory mental health training for all people managers. Results: 40% decrease in stress-related absences within 12 months. Managers reported greater confidence in addressing well-being concerns. Employee satisfaction with leadership rose in annual surveys. Challenge: Some middle managers initially resisted, citing “not enough time for fluffy stuff.” Leadership had to clearly link training to business outcomes to get full buy-in.

Scenario: Training Not Included

Clothes hanging and folded on shelves in a retail store. Caption reads: “Company: BrightMark Retail. Regional Retail Chain. Trigger: Leadership focused solely on operational expansion and saw soft-skills training as nonessential. Action: Management training emphasized logistics, scheduling, and performance metrics, but skipped well-being entirely. Results: High turnover among assistant managers who cited many citing burnout/lack of support. Anonymous feedback included comments like “My manager had no idea how to handle someone having a panic attack.” Challenge: Without a foundation of mental health awareness, leaders often felt unequipped and overwhelmed, and so did their teams.

 

When Wouldn’t a Company Want to Include Mental Health Training?

There are very few legitimate reasons not to include mental health training, especially as it becomes a workplace standard in many countries. The only cases might include:

  • Organizations with no people managers (e.g., small founder-led teams).
  • Sectors where third-party support structures handle all employee wellness (though this is rare and not ideal).
  • Companies operating under severe budget constraints — though even here, low-cost or nonprofit-based programs exist.

Ultimately, avoiding mental health training usually comes down to misunderstanding its purpose, not as an intentional strategy.

Person wearing suite looking sad while viewing tablet device on desk. “You don’t leave your depression at the door when you walk into work. You don’t put your anxiety in your rucksack when you get on your bike for the commute. “Employers are starting to realise that in order to attract and retain the best and brightest staff you’ve got to reflect the values of your community and create psychologically safe workplaces.” Georgie Harman, CEO, Beyond Blue

Final Thoughts: Not a Nice-to-Have, But A Need-to-Have

Mental health isn’t a side issue. It’s a core factor in performance, retention, and leadership effectiveness. Giving managers the tools to recognize and respond to mental health challenges isn’t about turning them into therapists but making them better leaders. When organizations invest in training that supports the whole person, they’re doing both the right thing and the smart thing.

In our constantly changing workplaces, managers are often the first line of defense against burnout, disengagement, and turnover. Without mental health training, even the most well-intentioned leaders can unintentionally make things worse, or miss early warning signs altogether. In other words, mental health training isn’t a luxury. It’s an essential skill for sustaining a healthy, high-performing workforce.

 
Related Blogs

How Mental Health can Make or Break Your Business in a Crisis

Employee Wellness Isn’t a Perk — It’s a Business Imperative (and It’s Not Just About Yoga)

Engagement Matters: Turning the Tide on Workforce Discontent

 
References

Conway, Steve. “‘Leave Your Problems at the Door,’ Why This Phrase Fails.” LinkedIn. September, 2025. Accessed 10/13/25. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/drsteveconway_leave-your-problems-at-the-door-why-this-activity-7373395808026730497-HKEL 

Hassard, Juliet et al. “The relationship between line manager training in mental health and organizational outcomes.” PLOS ONE. 7/17/24. Accessed 10/13/25. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0306065 

Morawczynski, Olga, Ph.D. “You can’t leave yourself at the door: Personal struggles shape how people show up at work.” LinkedIn. 5/8/25. Accessed 10/13/25. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/you-cant-leave-yourself-door-personal-struggles-shape-olga-92enc 

Stark, Jill. “’You don’t leave your depression at the door when you walk into work.’” The Sydney Morning Herald. 1/31/19. Accessed 10/13/25. https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/you-don-t-leave-your-depression-at-the-door-when-you-walk-into-work-20190130-p50ukw.html 

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