Gaps & Controls

Evaluating Existing Support Arrangements

Organisations may already provide a range of mental-health resources. These should be evaluated according to their intended role and practical accessibility.

Employee Assistance Programmes

EAPs commonly provide access to confidential counselling, advice or other support. They can be valuable where a worker is willing and able to contact the service.

An assessment should consider whether the EAP is appropriate for the support need, whether employees know how to access it and whether assistance is available when required.

An EAP does not automatically establish that immediate self-stabilisation is available during an acute episode.

Mental Health First Aiders

Trained personnel can provide initial human support, recognise difficulties and direct individuals towards further assistance. The adequacy of these arrangements depends partly on responder availability and accessibility.

A person who is unwilling or unable to disclose distress may not approach a responder.

Occupational Health

Occupational-health professionals can assess work-related health concerns and advise on adjustments, support and return-to-work arrangements.

These services are important but may not provide immediate assistance during every episode of distress.

Managers and Peer Supporters

Appropriately trained managers and peers can provide accessible human assistance.

However, their availability, competence and relationship with the worker should be considered.

Crisis and Emergency Services

Crisis helplines and emergency services provide important support in appropriate circumstances.

They serve different functions from routine counselling or self-guided stabilisation.

Private Self-Use Support

Self-administered tools provide an additional option for people who need assistance without approaching another person.

They can also be relevant when immediate human assistance is unavailable.

Gap 1 · Item 4Unwilling or Unable to Ask for Help

Not everyone experiencing emotional distress will ask another person for assistance.

Some people may be reluctant to disclose their circumstances because of embarrassment, fear of judgement, concerns about confidentiality or personal preference. Others may find communication difficult during acute distress.

A service that depends entirely on asking for help may therefore remain unused by people who need it.

The American Psychological Association's 2025 public-attitudes research found that 41% of surveyed US adults reported being often uncomfortable asking others for help.¹ This is not a direct estimate of the proportion of workers unwilling to seek mental-health assistance. However, it supports the need to consider barriers to help-seeking.

The purpose is to add an accessible route for people who would otherwise receive no assistance. This does not diminish the importance of professional or human support. It addresses a different circumstance.

Gap 2 · Item 5Immediate Distress Where It Occurs

Acute distress may develop suddenly. A worker experiencing a panic attack, intense anxiety or overwhelming emotions may need assistance immediately.

An appointment-based service may not be accessible at that moment. A trained responder may also be unavailable or difficult to reach.

The published WMHSA assessment therefore examines whether an immediate self-stabilisation option is clearly visible and accessible where distress occurs.

A study by Kessler and colleagues reported that 11.2% of respondents in a US population survey experienced a panic attack during a 12-month period.² This figure is not specific to workers or workplace incidents. It nevertheless illustrates that panic attacks are not exceptionally rare experiences.

Accessibility involves more than making a digital resource technically available. Workers should be able to find and use it without unnecessary registration, permission requests or disclosure.

Gap 3 · Item 8Waiting for Professional Assistance

Professional care may be necessary, but it is not always immediately available. A person may need to:

• Arrange an appointment.
• Wait for a clinician.
• Contact a remote service.
• Travel to a healthcare facility.
• Wait for an emergency responder.
• Obtain a referral.

During this period, emotional distress may continue. Where appropriate, immediate self-guided stabilisation can provide an additional form of support before professional assistance becomes available.

Interim support does not replace the professional assistance being sought.

Second Aid as a Practical Control

In April 2026, Second Aid was introduced as a model of immediate self-administered mental-health stabilisation. It follows the familiar distinction between First Aid for physical health and Second Aid for mental health.

Second Aid is accessed through a QR code or directly through its website. It provides interactive, self-guided exercises intended to help users manage certain forms of emotional distress. No account or personal information is required to access the stabilisation exercises.

The physical deployment model involves placing Second Aid signage in accessible locations, preferably alongside existing First Aid infrastructure.

Its relevance to WMHSA concerns three assessment items:

Item 4

Providing private support without requiring an individual to ask another person for help.

Item 5

Making immediate stabilisation support accessible where distress occurs.

Item 8

Providing self-use stabilisation during the period before professional assistance becomes available.

Second Aid is identified in the published WMHSA assessment as an applicable control for these situations. Its suitability should still be considered in the context of the organisation, its population and the relevant risks.

Further information: https://secondaid.com

Combining Complementary Controls

Mental-health support should not depend on a single measure addressing every possible situation. Different controls serve different functions.

These arrangements are complementary rather than interchangeable.

For example, introducing a private stabilisation tool does not remove the need to address bullying, excessive workloads or other workplace hazards. Likewise, providing professional counselling does not automatically eliminate the need for immediately accessible support.