Organisations that leverage a strategic, ecosystem approach may be better positioned to improve access to services and patient outcomes. This was a takeaway from the workshop led by Ridhima Aggarwal, the Salmon and Rameau Director with the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Centre for the Study of Wealth Inequality and the Healthcare Management Initiative. She highlighted social impact organisations in emerging markets that provide low-cost primary care, specialised treatments and tech-driven solutions, but face systemic barriers including staffing shortages, chronic underfunding and social stigma.

In such situations, said Aggarwal, community health workers, public-private partnerships and tech-enabled solutions supported by policy and sustainable funding go a long way towards advancing mental healthcare.

Xinyu Liang, Assistant Professor of Technology and Operations Management, demonstrated how information distortion can disrupt the mental health ecosystem from a supply chain perspective. Using an interactive simulation game set in the Detroit Public Schools, Liang illustrated how decisions made under uncertainty can create system-wide inefficiencies.

Participants at the workshop took on roles such as school counsellors, principals and policymakers in the game. They experienced firsthand the “bullwhip effect” – small changes in students’ demand for mental health support resulted in amplified reactions upstream, including over-referrals and reactive funding surges. The workshop underscored the critical need for better communication, data-driven planning and long-term collaboration across all levels of the ecosystem.

Although diversity has been shown to have positive implications for businesses, it can present challenges for mental well-being in the workplace. Vinika D. Rao, Director of the INSEAD Africa Initiative and the Hoffmann Institute, cautioned that people from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, genders, ages, ethnicities, sexualities and cognitive differences will react differently to mental health challenges.

The result could be emotional distress, anxiety disorders, burnout, depression, grief, cognitive function impairment and post-traumatic stress disorder. In extreme cases, sufferers may even contemplate or attempt suicide. Rao stressed that targeted support should be given to the most vulnerable groups. In addition, leaders need to fully integrate diversity, inclusion and mental health into sustainability activities.

Working parents are a specific demographic with distinct needs because of their heavy childcare burden. Yet, many of them suffer in silence, accepting the pressures of the role as “normal” or that as parents, they should tough it out.

At her workshop, Assistant Professor of Organisational Behaviour Winnie Jiang explained how parents can manage their mental health by increasing their resources – both tangible and intangible – and reducing the demands they face. They could ask for a raise, for example, and practise mindfulness for five minutes every day. They could delegate household or work tasks, or simply remind themselves that no one is perfect or can do it all. Jiang also advised working parents to make intentional choices that align with their values.

I (Enoch Li) reminded participants at my workshop that leaders must not forget the fundamental question of who people are. I gave delegates practical leadership tools they could use to foster a culture of well-being at work: introspective conversations that encourage leaders and employees to take stock of who they are and how they are.

The purpose is to inquire about a person’s identity behind their work persona – the hidden anxieties, defences, fears, hopes, challenges and dreams – to understand what “well” means for each individual. Leaders should develop the skill of facilitating these conversations without trying to “fix” things and give advice.

Participants saw how important this collective exploration could be for building a culture of mental well-being at work, because it gives others the courage to articulate their emotions and experiences and speak up about the mental health challenges they might be facing.