The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) have compelled solid actions to address mental health problems in the working population, stating that an estimated 12 billion workdays are lost annually because of depression and anxiety, costing the global economy nearly $1 trillion.
With the aim to address the issue, two new publications were published on Sept 29, explaining WHOÂ’s guidelines on mental health at work and a derivative WHO/ILO policy brief.
WHOÂ’s universal guidelines on mental health at work suggest actions to tackle risks to mental health such as negative behaviors, heavy workloads, and other factors that create distress at work.
It is for the first time that WHO has recommended manager training to build their capacity to avoid stressful work environments and respond to workers in distress.
According to the WHOÂ’s World Mental Health Report, published in June, one billion people are living with a mental disorder in 2019, 15 percent of working-age adults experienced a mental disorder.
“It’s time to focus on the detrimental effect work can have on our mental health,” remarked WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Moreover, a separate WHO/ILO policy brief enlightens the WHO guidelines in terms of practical strategies for governments, employers and workers, and their organizations, in the public and private sectors.
“As people spend a large proportion of their lives in work — a safe and healthy working environment is critical. We need to invest to build a culture of prevention around mental health at work, reshape the work environment to stop stigma and social exclusion, and ensure employees with mental health conditions feel protected and supported,” as stated by ILO Director-General Guy Ryder.
The report added that Covid-19 also caused a 25percent increase in general anxiety and depression globally, revealing how unprepared governments were for its influence on mental health, and unveiling a chronic universal shortage of mental health resources.