Mental health interventions: improving the mental health of workers in the gig economy

Good working conditions, job security and development opportunities are associated with better mental health. In the gig economy, workers are often not contracted in long-term employment, thus making them particularly vulnerable to poor mental health. In this report, we explore how individual and organisational level interventions existing in ‘standard’ office-based workplaces may be applied to the gig economy.

The key issue in transferring effective interventions from the standard economy to the gig economy is who should be responsible for their implementation and provision. We recommend that the government look to establish health and safety regulations in all sectors, develop policy that provides financial and administrative support to workers, and expand mental health education. Without concerted efforts to reach gig workers there is a risk that mental health inequalities will continue to worsen. Further research with a specific focus on mental health interventions in the gig economy must also become a priority.

Prepared by: Anna Chaplin, Genevieve Mensah Antwi-Boasiako, Rebecca McElroy, Lillian Flemons, Olivia Cowgill, Alex Kanteti (University of Cambridge)

Read the report here.