Mental health issues in the workplace are on the rise across the country.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 76% of workers reported at least one symptom of a mental illness in 2021.
A new course at the University of South Florida seeks to combat this problem, and in its first year, it enrolled more than 4,500 working adults, coming from some of the nation’s and world’s top companies.
The online course, “Workplace Mental Health and Wellness,” is a collaboration between the Tampa Bay Crisis Center and USF’s School of Behavioral and Community Sciences.
The program teaches students how to address mental health disorders, build healthy teams, and support employees. Participants learn to recognize mental and behavioral issues.
“We talk about trauma and suicide, and we need to talk about these things because they’re on the rise,” said Julie Cerovich, dean of the School of Behavioral and Community Sciences. “Most people have experienced some level of trauma, so it’s important that we understand a little bit about it.”
The course is free because Cerovich wants to make a difference, not profit.
“This is about doing the right thing,” Cerovich said. “In times of crisis like these, the worst thing is when someone wakes up and realizes they have a problem and doesn’t know what to do. But by taking this course, they can learn what to do.”
This course is open to the public and consists of seven two-hour sessions. To register:
