The Cyprus Association of Psychologists notes the results of a pan-European survey on the mental health of workers in its announcement, on the occasion of this year's World Mental Health Day, which is celebrated today, October 10, and which has been dedicated to mental health in the workplace. According to the survey, 38% of European workers are at high risk of poor mental health.
The Psychological Association notes that mental health problems in the workplace also have an impact on the economy, as an estimated 12 billion workdays are "lost" each year due to depression and anxiety, costing a trillion dollars a year in lost productivity, according to estimates World Health Organization (WHO).
It also quotes the WHO, which says that "unhealthy work environments – including those involving discrimination and inequality, excessive workload, low autonomy at work and job insecurity – put workers' mental health at risk." It is also noted that the factors that may be related to the ill health of employees concern the content of the work, the work schedule, specific characteristics of the work environment, strained relationships with colleagues, poor leadership and the imbalance between professional and personal of life.
The Association of Psychologists of Cyprus draws "the attention of those concerned both to the problems that arise and concern mental health in the workplace, as well as to the actions that need to be taken to improve the quality of life of employees".
"Investing in policies and practices to promote mental health in the workplace can bring about positive outcomes, such as higher job satisfaction and well-being, better performance and reduced costs due to reduced absenteeism," he adds.
"As the Association of Psychologists of Cyprus, we call on the political authorities, employers, and organizations in general, to take this opportunity to reflect and reflect on the above issues and to create prevention policies for the risk factors in mental health, building supportive workplaces where mental health is a priority,” he concludes.