The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) has launched the Mental Health Toolkit for Commonwealth Parliaments to guide, advise and educate Parliaments and Legislatures on how to improve their response to mental health issues experienced by Members of Parliament and parliamentary staff.

The new toolkit addresses the unique mental health stressors that Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff face in their working lives, including long working hours, intense public scrutiny and online abuse via social media. It provides practical approaches, tailored to parliamentary workplaces, that can be employed to protect and promote good mental health and wellbeing.

The publication draws upon contemporary mental health research, established best practices and relevant case studies from more than 20 Commonwealth jurisdictions, including: the United Kingdom, Australian Capital Territory, Malaysia, Northern Ireland, Canada, Northern Territory, Gauteng, Victoria, Québec, Ontario, Manitoba, Isle of Man, Tasmania and Guernsey.