The Mental Capital and Wellbeing project (2007-2008) was the second Foresight project shiftN was invited to contribute to.

The aim of the project was to advise the UK Government, based on best available scientific evidence, on how to achieve the best possible mental development and mental wellbeing for everyone in the UK in the future.

Given the enormity of the scope, the work was organised in five parallel work streams: wellbeing and work, learning through life, learning difficulties, mental health and mental capital through life.

shiftN was responsible in this work for both the futures and systems support of the Lead Expert Group (led by Prof. Cary Cooper CBE). A set of scenarios was developed to help the lead experts to articulate longer term developments in their respective domains of expertise. Systems mapping in each of the work streams resulted in a rich collection of diagrams to help decision-makers come to grips with this multi-faceted and cross-departmental policy area.