I just had another birthday and reflected on the past year. One of my biggest frustrations is the continued mental health literacy gap in today’s workplace.
Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC) data reveals a major gap in mental health literacy across Canada, with many Canadians unsure how to identify issues or access support. Without mental health literacy, it is difficult, if not impossible, for the average employer to understand why and how a psychological health and safety program can drive productivity, impact and results.
Ask five people to explain mental health literacy and you’ll likely get five different answers. This variation reveals one key to eliminating mental illness stigma: it begins with closing the gap in mental health literacy.
Many people, consciously or unconsciously, equate the term mental health with a synonym for mental illness. Because of this, they link mental health to conditions such as anxiety, depression and addiction. This misunderstanding fuels stigma and limits meaningful conversations on the differences between mental health and mental illness, as well as what mental illness really is.
Mental health literacy 101
Mental health refers to a person’s emotions, thoughts, moods and behaviours. It’s about how we feel, think and interact with the world. Mental illness encompasses these elements, as well as the degree to which a person can function in their daily life. It’s not just about feeling sad or anxious — it’s when those experiences begin to interfere with a person’s ability to function to their potential at work, in relationships and with self-care.
Mental illness is not a choice, but seeking help during times of need is. Like physical illness, mental illness is not something people choose. No one wants to experience depression, anxiety or psychosis.
Relief often requires clinical support, just as someone with chronic physical pain may need medical care. However, this is not always apparent. The confusion frequently arises because symptoms of mental illness can be invisible. A person with persistent emotional pain may not seek help — just as someone with chronic physical pain might delay seeing a doctor — but without intervention, the condition may worsen.
Mental illness is not something a person can turn on or off, just as someone with cancer cannot choose to be cancer-free. However, a person’s openness, attitude and commitment to treatment can significantly influence their recovery.
Research during cancer treatment suggests that a positive mindset doesn’t cure illness, but it can reduce stress and improve treatment outcomes. The point to anchor is that whether the condition is physical or mental, a person’s choice, mindset and willingness to engage in the treatment process matter a great deal.
One effective way to understand the difference between mental health and mental illness is to visualize a mental health continuum from Thriving to Doing OK to Languishing to Mental Illness:
- Flourishing: Optimal well-being, strong emotional balance and positive functioning
- Doing OK: Stable but not flourishing; managing stress and emotions reasonably well
- Languishing: Feeling stuck, emotionally drained or disconnected; low motivation and energy
- Mental illness: Significant distress and impaired functioning; symptoms may require clinical intervention
This continuum helps clarify that mental health is not static. It can fluctuate between flourishing, doing OK and languishing, based on life circumstances, stressors and support systems — meaning a person can feel they are flourishing at work but languishing at home.
They can have good days and bad days, depending on their mood. This helps anchor the fact that a person with a mental illness must improve their mental health outlook so they can do the work to recover from their symptoms.
Having treated many individuals in clinical settings, I know that a core route to success is getting back to the basics of exercise, diet, rest, social connections and quality sleep to build the foundation and energy to take on faulty belief systems and addictive behaviours.
What influences mental health?
Mental health is not determined solely by genetics. It’s shaped by a combination of environment, life experiences and education — including the knowledge and skills, such as resilience and coping strategies, that a person develops to care for their inner world.
- Environment: Our surroundings, relationships and access to resources play a significant role in how we feel, think and cope. Supportive environments can foster well-being, while toxic or unstable ones can increase vulnerability.
- Experience: Life events, especially trauma, loss or prolonged stress, can either build resilience or erode it. Our past shapes how we respond to challenges in the present.
- Education: Mental health literacy empowers people to recognize signs of distress, seek help when needed and support others. Learning how to manage emotions, build coping skills and understand mental health concepts is foundational to well-being.
One metaphor I’ve used for over a decade is the battery. Think of emotional and mental well-being as a battery — and that mental health can be predicted by a person’s battery charge:
- Charges: Positive experiences, strong relationships, rest and purpose help energize and protect mental health.
- Drains: Chronic stress, isolation, unresolved trauma or burnout slowly deplete energy. If left unaddressed, these drains can lead to mental illness over time.
Mental health literacy can help employees and leaders normalize the idea that mental health is as variable as the weather. Periods of emotional stress after a loss, failure or breakup are natural. Feeling down or overwhelmed doesn’t automatically mean someone has a mental illness, even if their functionality is temporarily impacted. Mental health literacy helps people understand that:
- Good mental health is learning how to live well, even when not feeling well.
- Positive and negative experiences ebb and flow.
What can dramatically impact a person’s overall mental health is how well they can deal with stress and how they respond, adapt and support themselves — and engage others for support — when needed to get through challenging moments. I coach that resiliency and good mental health are a team sport. We cannot do it alone; people need people to flourish.
Mental illness vs. mental disorder
A mental illness can arise from environmental factors. Someone may not be born with it but may develop it due to trauma or stress. In contrast, mental disorders, such as bipolar disorder, are often organic — rooted in brain structure and function.
It’s also essential to distinguish neurodivergence from mental disorders. While ADHD is listed in the DSM-V as a persistent pattern of inattention or hyperactivity, it is more prudent in the workplace to view neurodivergence not as a disorder but as a different cognitive style — one that may require adaptation, not correction. Some neurodivergent persons may struggle in a neurotypical world, which may be the root cause of stress, anxiety or maladaptive coping behaviours such as addiction.
In the workplace, an employee’s feelings have a direct impact on their performance. Someone who is flourishing shows up energized, engaged and productive. A person who is languishing may be present but emotionally disconnected, struggling to concentrate or find meaning in their work. Meanwhile, someone experiencing a mental illness may face persistent distress and impaired functioning, making even basic tasks difficult. These differences reflect varying degrees of presenteeism, where individuals are physically present but not fully functioning.
It’s vital to recognize that psychosocial hazards such as burnout, fatigue or bullying can affect performance without indicating mental illness. However, when these stressors are frequent, intense and prolonged, they can lead to clinical conditions. Mental health literacy helps us understand that emotional strain is a valid concern and that seeking early support can prevent more severe issues. Supporting employees across this continuum is essential for both well-being and workplace success.
Building a culture of mental health literacy: Roles for employers, employees, government and researchers
Improving mental health literacy requires a coordinated effort across all sectors of society. When we understand the difference between mental health and mental illness and communicate it clearly, we reduce stigma, promote early intervention and create environments where people feel safe to talk about their emotional well-being.
The following are key actions that employers, employees, governments and researchers can take to foster clarity, compassion and consistency in how mental health is understood and supported.
Employees can contribute to a healthier workplace culture by:
- Educating themselves on mental health literacy and challenging misconceptions
- Supporting colleagues through empathy and active listening, and encouraging self-discovery of mental health literacy among peers in need
- Modelling healthy behaviours such as taking breaks, setting boundaries and seeking help when needed
- Advocating for psychological health and safety and the role of inclusive practices in promoting mental health and preventing psychological harm
Employers play a vital role in promoting mental health literacy. They can:
- Offer mental health literacy training that distinguishes mental health from mental illness
- Commit to implementing psychological health and safety programs that support the employee experience
- Encourage open dialogue and normalize help-seeking behaviour in times of need, as well as ensuring there are Crisis-Ready Interventionists™ to defuse crises and guide employees to support when needed
- Provide access to mental health resources and prevention programs, such as resiliency training and mental health supports
Governments can strengthen public understanding and prevention by:
- Investing in public education campaigns that clarify the difference between mental health and mental illness
- Promoting the value of teaching mental health literacy in schools, workplaces and communities
- Supporting mental health literacy programs that empower citizens to manage stress and build resilience proactively, and committing to mental health parity — including investments in prevention and treatment that make support more accessible to all
Researchers must be mindful of how they use the term “mental health.” Precision in language helps educate the public and reduce stigma. Key coaching points for researchers include:
- Clarify terminology to distinguish between mental health, mental illness and mental disorders to reduce confusion
- Focus on functionality to emphasize how mental illness affects daily functioning, not just emotional states
- Promote frameworks like the mental health continuum to reflect the fluid nature of mental well-being
Call to action: Become a mental health literacy advocate
Mental health is not mental illness. Understanding this distinction is crucial to reducing stigma, enhancing support and fostering healthier communities. Mental health is a dynamic part of everyday life, shaped by our thoughts, emotions and experiences. It fluctuates like a weather system, and it is entirely normal to feel stress, sadness or emotional strain during difficult times. These feelings do not automatically signal mental illness, even if they temporarily affect our functionality.
Mental health literacy teaches that good mental health is learning how to live well, even when we’re not feeling well. Positive and negative experiences come and go. What matters is how we respond, adapt and support ourselves and others through those changes.
To truly eliminate stigma, we must align our language, educate consistently and clarify the boundaries between mental health and mental illness. This means:
- Using clear and consistent terminology in conversations, media, research and policy
- Encouraging people to talk about mental health as openly as they do physical health
- Creating safe spaces for discussing mental illness with the same medical parity and respect as physical conditions
Become an advocate for mental health literacy in your workplace, community and personal circles. Challenge misconceptions. Promote education. Support clarity. Every conversation matters — and every effort helps build a culture where mental health is understood, respected and supported.
