According to Dr. Sarah Y. Vinson, we often talk about mental health in the context of mental illness. With that in mind, she started her keynote address at the NC Chamber’s inaugural Business Summit on Mental Health with a definition.

According to the WHO, “mental health is a state of wellbeing in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.”

But that’s not what we think about when we talk about mental health, is it?

Really looking at that definition, we can see that mental health is about relationships and people, it is grounded in community. The things that define mental health also define a healthy employee.

So What?

Much of what health looks like is determined by what happens around people, says Dr. Vinson, a triple board-certified child and adolescent, adult and forensic psychiatrist. This is what is referred to as the social determinants of health, which can often shape an individual’s mental health even more than genetics.

Research tells us things like homelessness or housing instability, food and/or transportation insecurity, exposure to violence, and more can raise the risk of adverse health outcomes.

Dr. Vinson encouraged attendees to shift the definition of success from a society that just cares for people when they’re sick to a society that better positions people for success.

The things we are exposed to early shape us more significantly. The childhood years are critical when it comes to establishing values, a sense of identity, and where we fit in the world. It is not as simple as being mentally ill or not. “All of us are on the spectrum and can move along it depending on factors,” says Dr. Vinson.

Changing the Narrative When it Comes to Kids

Our nation is experiencing an acute, chronic youth mental health crisis and it is up to the adults in their lives to help shift that. Jai Kumar, executive vice president at CaroNova, shared his favorite quote from a school principal, “I don’t have any bad kids, I have a lot of adults who have let them down.”

Trauma shapes how individuals react and operate. “A parent cannot give a child what they themselves do not have,” says Dr. Vinson. “We can’t just stop at the child and judge the parent for not doing better.”

There is significant research that tells us the positive factors shown to decrease risk.

Positive childhood experiences are rooted in community, a sense of belonging, feeling supported, and having nonparent adults take genuine interest. At home, children need to be able to talk about their feelings, see their family as a source of support, feel safe and protected, like the family looks out for one another, and have someone who takes them to the doctor when needed.

Many of these basic needs are met in child care settings, yet our nation lags the world in investment, an issue the NC Chamber Foundation has researched extensively.

All of us can contribute to those factors in a positive way and if we want to have healthy, functioning families, as well as colleagues who can contribute to our teams and our economy, we must.

Applications in the Workplace

When it comes to employee wellness, the focus is on individual coping, rather than examining systems-driven stressors.

When thinking about their people, Dr. Vinson encourages employers to ask themselves, is it burnout or is it arson?

If it’s burnout, then the individual needs to cope better. But if it’s arson then you have created an environment that is burning around them.

So, as the leader, you hold the match in some senses, which means you have the potential to end arson in your workplace.

Dr. Vinson explains that if you did not grow up in a safe environment, your brain responds differently to cues than someone who grew up in a safe environment. Feeling safe is critical to mental health and psychological safety is so important in the workplace.

Adam Grant defines the psychologically safe workplace.

“It’s a place where interpersonal risks feel doable, interpersonal risks, like speaking up with questions and concerns and half-baked ideas and even mistakes.

But feeling safe to speak up is only half the equation. Psychological safety isn’t about making people comfortable, being ‘nice,’ or brushing aside mistakes – to work well, psychological safety has to be coupled with accountability. That combination creates a culture where people take intelligent risks.”

As the leader, how YOU show up absolutely impacts the people in the room and their mental health. “Culture and health are top down,” says Dr. Vinson. “How are YOU doing? You have to model the behavior. Most people know what works for them, they just haven’t started the practice of making it a permanent part of their life.”

Leverage your power and help them get there. To learn how, read The Mind Game Business MUST Play.

Special thanks to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina for their founding sponsor role in this event and their leadership in this space. To be notified when registration opens for the 2026 Business Summit on Mental Health opens, click here.