Decent work is conducive to good mental health.
A poor working environment – characterized by discrimination and inequality, excessive workload, poor control of working arrangements and job insecurity – poses a risk to mental health.
It is estimated that in 2019, 15% of working-age adults suffered from a mental disorder.
Globally, it is estimated that depression and anxiety cause 12 billion lost work days each year, representing a loss of productivity of $1 trillion per year.
There are effective measures to avoid the risks of mental disorders, protect and promote mental health at work and support workers with mental health problems.
Work can protect mental health
Nearly 60% of the world’s population is employed (1). All workers have the right to a safe and healthy working environment. Decent work is conducive to good mental health because:
it provides a means of subsistence;
it gives purpose, self-confidence and a feeling of accomplishment;
it allows you to have positive relationships and be part of a community; And
it defines a structuring framework, among many other advantages.
Decent work can contribute to the recovery and inclusion of people with mental health problems, increase their self-confidence and improve their social functioning.
A safe and healthy working environment is not only a fundamental right, it can also limit tensions and conflicts at work, help to retain staff, and improve performance and productivity. Conversely, the absence of quality structures and support at work, particularly for people with mental health problems, can impair the ability to enjoy and do well at work; it can cause absenteeism and even hinder obtaining a job.
Mental health risks at work
At work, mental health risks, also called psychosocial risks, can be linked, among other things, to the nature of the job or working hours, the characteristics of the professional setting or the absence of career prospects.
Mental health risks at work include:
the incompatibility between professional and family demands.
More than half of the world’s workforce works in the informal sector (2), where there are no regulations guaranteeing health and safety protection. These workers often work in unsafe work environments, work long hours, have little or no social or financial protection, and face discrimination, all of which can harm mental health.
Although psychosocial risks exist in all sectors, some workers are more exposed to them than others, because of the nature of their work or where and how they work. Health workers, aid workers or emergency service personnel often have jobs with a high risk of exposure to adverse events that can have adverse effects on their mental health.
Economic recessions or humanitarian and public health emergencies bring risks such as job loss, financial instability, reduced job prospects or increased unemployment.
The workplace can magnify broader issues that have detrimental effects on mental health, including discrimination and inequalities based on factors such as race, sex, gender identity, orientation gender, disability, social origin, migrant status, religion or age.
People with serious mental health problems are more often excluded from the world of work and, when employed, are more likely to experience inequality at work. Being unemployed also poses a mental health risk. Unemployment, job insecurity, and financial insecurity as well as recent job loss are risk factors for suicide.
Acting for mental health at work
Governments, employers, organizations representing workers and employers, and other stakeholders responsible for the health and safety of workers can help improve mental health at work by taking steps to:
avoid work-related mental health problems by addressing mental health risks at work;
protect and promote mental health at work;
helping workers with mental health issues participate and thrive at work; And
create an environment conducive to change.
Workers and their representatives as well as people with practical experience of mental health problems must be constructively involved in efforts to improve mental health at work.
Avoiding work-related mental health problems
Preventing mental health problems at work involves managing psychosocial risks in the workplace. To do this, the WHO recommends that employers take organizational interventions directly focused on working conditions and environments. Organizational interventions involve assessing mental health risks in the workplace and then mitigating, modifying or eliminating them. These include, for example, the establishment of flexible working arrangements or arrangements to deal with violence and harassment at work.
Protecting and promoting mental health at work
The protection and promotion of mental health at work involves strengthening the ability, particularly of managers, to identify mental health problems at work and take action accordingly.
To protect mental health, WHO recommends:
to train managers in mental health issues in order to help them perceive the emotional distress of their subordinates and act accordingly; to develop relational skills such as open communication and active listening; and to increase understanding of how workplace stressors affect mental health and how they can be coped with;
to train workers so that they are better aware and have better knowledge of mental health and so that people with mental health problems at work are less stigmatized; And
provide interventions for individuals to teach them how to manage stress and reduce symptoms when experiencing mental health problems, including psychosocial interventions and opportunities for leisure-time physical activity.
Helping workers with mental health issues participate and thrive at work
People with mental disorders have the right to participate fully and fairly in the world of work. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international agreement int
