2024-09-14 13:14:00
WHO believes it is necessary to implement concrete actions to prevent and mitigate mental health risks at work. Specific work sectors, such as healthcare, humanitarian or emergency, are particularly exposed to these risks.
In a world where working conditions are constantly changing, mental health in the workplace has gained greater importance in recent years. According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2019, 15% of working-age adults suffered from a mental disorder. Additionally, an estimated 12 billion workdays are lost to depression and anxiety each year, costing $1 trillion in lost productivity annually. Poor work environments, characterized by discrimination, work overload, lack of control over tasks or job insecurity, pose a significant risk to mental health.
In this regard, specific sectors, such as healthcare, humanitarian or emergency, are particularly exposed to these risks, due to the stressful and often traumatic nature of their work. Specifically, economic crises or public health emergencies increase pressure on workers, generating work and financial instability and reducing job opportunities.
The negative impact on mental health is not limited to work-related factors alone. The work can amplify additional social problems, such as discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or immigration status, among others. For people with serious mental health problems, the risk of exclusion from work is significantly higher and, when they do manage to gain employment, they often face further inequalities.
Global action plan
WHO is committed to improving mental health at work. The WHO Global Strategy on Health, Environment and Climate Change and the WHO Global Action Plan on Mental Health (2013-2030) outline relevant principles, objectives and implementation strategies to ensure good mental health in the workplace . These include addressing the social determinants of mental health, such as living standards and working conditions; reduce stigma and discrimination; and increase access to evidence-based care through the development of health services, including access to occupational health services. In 2022, the WHO World Mental Health Report: Transforming Mental Health for All highlighted the workplace as a key example of an environment where transformative mental health action is needed.
The WHO guidelines on mental health at work provide evidence-based recommendations to promote mental health, prevent mental health disorders and enable people living with mental health disorders to participate and thrive at work. The recommendations cover organizational interventions, training of managers and workers, individual interventions, returning to work and obtaining employment.
Another recent document, from WHO and the International Labor Organization, “Mental health at work: policy brief”, provides a pragmatic framework for implementing WHO recommendations. It sets out specifically what governments, employers, organizations representing employers and workers and other stakeholders can do to improve mental health at work.
In this context, WHO considers it imperative to implement concrete actions to prevent and mitigate mental health risks at work. Creating safe and healthy working environments is not only a fundamental right, but is also essential to improving staff retention, work performance and ultimately the productivity of organizations. Decent work not only promotes mental health, but can also be a crucial factor in the recovery and reintegration of those already facing mental health problems, helping to improve their confidence and social functioning.. LDB/MTT (SyM)
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