Mental health and corporate social responsibility for industrial psychology

Orientation: Organisations must do whatever it takes to ensure sustainability and longevity, and extend benefits into the communities where they operate.Research purpose: The general aim of this study was to explore the contribution that the profession of industrial psychology can make towards improving mental health by means of a CSR programme.Motivation for the study: This study was motivated by the notion that, in South Africa, organisations are encouraged to be socially responsible and Industrial-organisational Psychology (IOP) can be of service to this goal for the organisation.Research approach/design and method: A qualitative research design with a combination of purposive and convenience sampling was utilised. Participants consisted of the project team who participated in a training institution’s CSR initiative in the North West province. Data gathering took place in the form of semi-structured in-depth interviews, which were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis.Main findings: The results showed that typical IOP topics that could be formulated into a CSR programme included life skills and topics related to personal growth and self-worth. The results also showed that universities are able to play a vital part in community engagement, and an inter-relationship of benefits can be established.Practical/managerial implications: The research indicates that industrial and organisational psychologists could also contribute to organisations when they operate in the CSR scope.Contribution/value-add: On an individual level, this study contributed to clarify the understanding whether IOP has a place in social investment and contributions.