OHE: More needs to be done to protect mental health in the workplace

Much more needs to be done to protect mental health in the workplace, the UN said today as it presented new recommendations to reduce tensions.

Two UN agencies responsible for health and work, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labor Organization (ILO), have published a series of advice on preventing and protecting against the risks that threaten mental health at work.

Psychological stress is costly to the sufferers as well as to society. An estimated 12 billion working days are lost annually due to depression and anxiety, or $1 trillion, according to the WHO and ILO.

"The time has come to focus on the negative effects that work can have on our mental health," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a joint statement by the two agencies.

"A person's well-being is reason enough to act, but poor mental health can also have a devastating effect on a person's performance and productivity," he stressed.

The WHO had warned in June that nearly a billion people worldwide were living with a mental illness before the pandemic covid-19, which further aggravated the situation.

"Worrying" numbers

One in six working-age adults suffers from a mental illness, according to the WHO.

"The numbers are alarming," said Manal Azi, the ILO's head of occupational safety and health. "We have a huge responsibility," he stressed, explaining that often the workplace itself is a catalyst.

In its new report on better tackling the problem, the WHO highlights that fulfilling work can protect mental health, give the worker a sense of fulfillment, self-confidence and generate income.

Conversely, poor or mediocre working conditions, poor industrial relations and unemployment "may contribute significantly to the worsening of mental health or already existing psychological problems".

Training of leaders

One of the most important recommendations of the UN is to train managers to know how to prevent stressful work environments and how to deal with employees suffering from stress.

At the same time the WHO and the ILO published a joint memorandum which presents practical strategies for governments, employers and workers.

It explains how people suffering from psychological problems can be supported and helped to participate and progress in the workplace.

"We need to invest in creating a culture of prevention around mental health at work, change the work environment to end stigma and social exclusion and ensure that workers who suffer from mental health problems feel supported and they protect," underlined ILO chief Guy Ryder.

Source: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ- AFP