M-HEAL · Mental Health of Employees: Analysis and Learnings

M-HEAL seeks to investigate the impact of modern workplace dynamics—specifically, market competition, automation, and organizational restructuring—on employees' mental health. The objectives of this study are threefold: (1) to identify the key factors influencing employees' mental health within the context of these workplace changes, (2) to quantify the extent to which these factors impact mental health, and (3) to explore how these effects vary across different individual, firm, and industry characteristics. The study will utilize an interdisciplinary approach to achieve these objectives, integrating insights from industrial organizations, labor economics, and health economics. The research will be conducted in Denmark, leveraging its comprehensive and longitudinal register data, which provides a unique opportunity to analyze these dynamics over a 20-year period. The methodology is structured into three work packages: a literature review and meta-analysis to establish a conceptual framework, a causal analysis using advanced microeconometric methods to identify the effects of workplace dynamics on mental health, and a heterogeneity analysis to assess how these effects differ across various demographic and firm characteristics. The relevance of this research to the work program lies in its potential to address the increasing societal challenge of workplace-related mental health issues, which are becoming more prevalent as economic and technological changes accelerate. By providing a deeper understanding of the causal relationships between workplace dynamics and mental health, this study aims to inform the development of targeted policies and interventions that can reduce the burden of work-related stress and improve overall mental health outcomes. The findings are expected to have significant implications for both academic research and practical policy-making, contributing to the broader goals of promoting health and well-being in the workplace across Europe.