Most managers will one day be in a situation where they must help another employee with a mental health issue. How should they prepare for these conversations? What resources are available? This role-play case duo sets up a discussion on mental health-specifically, depression and anxiety-between an employee and their manager in a US context. Students will be assigned either the role of the boss or the direct report, and will be asked to navigate a difficult conversation around mental ill health and performance at work. The material allows students to learn about the various policies and laws that govern these discussions and the typical workplace resources that may or may not be available, and to practice having these tricky conversations. This case set may not be appropriate or useful for audiences with several employees who work or plan to work outside of the United States because mental health symptom presentations, norms surrounding mental health discussions, and mental health resources in other countries differ significantly from what is discussed in this case set.

Most managers will one day be in a situation where they must help another employee with a mental health issue. How should they prepare for these conversations? What resources are available? This role-play case duo sets up a discussion on mental health-specifically, depression and anxiety-between an employee and their manager in a US context. Students will be assigned either the role of the boss or the direct report, and will be asked to navigate a difficult conversation around mental ill health and performance at work. The material allows students to learn about the various policies and laws that govern these discussions and the typical workplace resources that may or may not be available, and to practice having these tricky conversations. This case set may not be appropriate or useful for audiences with several employees who work or plan to work outside of the United States because mental health symptom presentations, norms surrounding mental health discussions, and mental health resources in other countries differ significantly from what is discussed in this case set.