18 questions for a workplace mental health questionnaire

Just like physical health, everyone has mental health. And just like physical health, we can be more mentally healthy some days than others. In fact, mental health is often seen as a continuum, with mental illness and disorders on one end and good mental health, or mental wellbeing, on the other. But what does good mental health look like? And how can we find out where our employees sit on the continuum?

Being mentally healthy may look different from one person to the next. But people that are in good mental health are normally able to:

Remember that everyone moves along the mental health continuum over time. Of course, we all feel sad, stressed or anxious from time to time. And how we feel at any given time can depend on many different factors. Genetics, pressures at work and what’s going on in our personal lives can all affect our mental state. Problems arise when our emotions impact our ability to function. And if left unresolved and untreated, periods of poor mental health can develop into mental illness. To prevent this from happening to your employees, it’s a good idea to assess the state of mental health in your workplace. A mental health survey is a great way to do this. Surveys can also help you understand how to better support employees with mental health problems or illnesses.

Supporting staff mental wellbeing is well worth your while. After all, investing in mental health support leads to fewer absences and lower staff turnover. And a mental health questionnaire is an excellent place to start.

Mental health questionnaires come in all shapes and sizes. They may be short and sweet or delve deeper into the myriad factors affecting mental health. But from a human resources perspective, the main aim of a mental health survey is to gauge the state of employee mental wellbeing. You can also use it to determine whether the support you provide is up to scratch. For instance, do staff know about the support available? Does it meet their needs? Asking these questions will help you identify any gaps.

There is a whole raft of mental health survey questions to choose from. But make sure you don’t get carried away. Keep it succinct to ensure high completion rates.

Why not use the SurveyMonkey mental health survey template to get you started? Then have a browse through the 18 sample survey questions about mental health below. There may be some you want to add in.

Questions related to an employee’s role ask how fulfilling or challenging their role is. Essentially, are they able to do their job? Do they need more support or training to do their job?

It’s important to ask how employees perceive their own physical and mental health. And to understand whether the support your organisation provides meets their needs.

These questions involve understanding communication within your organisation. Is it straightforward? Does it do the job? And how does all this affect your staff?

Relationships with peers and line managers can significantly affect staff wellbeing. So it’s helpful to identify any issues in this area.

The aim of these questions is to find out whether employees feel they have control over their work. And how they work. It’s also worth asking questions about work-life balance within your organisation. For instance, how is it perceived? And do people walk the talk?