World Mental Health Day 2026 – Launch of New MHFA Workplace Standards
Dear Colleagues,
World Mental Health Day is a global observance that highlights mental health as a universal human right and calls for action to ensure everyone can access quality care. It draws attention to the reality that one in eight people live with a mental health condition, often facing stigma, discrimination, and inadequate treatment. The day serves as a platform to raise awareness, confront systemic barriers, and promote inclusion, dignity, and community-based support worldwide.
World Mental Health Day is on Saturday 10th October. The theme of World Mental Health Day 2026 is
“Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change”.
This year’s theme is especially important to consider from a workplace context when considering ‘lived experiences’ as workplace incidents or traumatic events can occur on any work site, any road, or in any workplace and these impactful events can directly affect our mental health.
Launch of New MHFA Workplace Standards
The new MHFA England Workplace Mental Health First Aid Standards launch occurred on Tuesday 6th October 2026.
In 2025 The CWU and other unions contributed to the public consultation on Workplace Mental Health First Aid Standards, with the hope being that these standards can create a pivotal step towards a future where every employee has access to high-quality mental health support, wherever they work, and whatever their role.
The new standards are provided alongside this LTB.
The CWU submission on the public consultation in 2025 suggested threemain inclusions:
- Any new standard must emphasise that mental health must be treated with the same seriousness as physical health across all workplace policies and practice, and through better and more widespread use of risk assessments.
This has been included in Standard 1 of the new MHFA England Workplace Mental Health First Aid Standards
- Reasonable adjustments must be implemented readily for employees with diagnosed mental health conditions following the completion of workplace person specific risk assessments.
This has been included in standard 8 of the MHFA England Workplace Mental Health First Aid Standards
- Employers registered on the UK Government Disability Confident scheme should be asked to sign up to the new MHFA England Workplace Mental Health First Aid Standards.
This has not yet been included in the MHFA England Workplace Mental Health First Aid Standards.
Linking back to this year’s theme for World Mental Health Day 2026, the official WMHD 2026 toolkit can be downloaded via the following link:
It is important to raise awareness of the fact that CWU Mental Health First Aid training will again be available in 2027.
The 2-day CWU Mental Health First Aid course provides training to all learners to aid a better understanding of:
- What a traumatic event is
- What Crisis First Aid looks like for traumatic events
- What protective factors are available for supporting our Metal Health.
Please remember there is always hope, clicking on the following link can take you to your nearest support service:
Mental Health Support Network provided by Chasing the Stigma | Hub of hope
This LTB is shared on behalf of CWU Central Services.
If you have any questions or need any further information, please contact-
Jamie McGovern FRSPH MIIAI
CWU Health & Safety Policy Assistant at jmcgovern@cwu.org.
LTB 267/26 WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY 2026
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