Oluwatobiloba Jaiyeola
The World Health Organisation and the International Labour Organisation have urged employers of labour and governments worldwide to tackle mental health concerns in working environments.
The WHO and ILO said workers are susceptible to risks that could affect their mental health such as heavy workloads, negative behaviours, and other factors that create discomfort at work.
The WHO, in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation, made this call on Wednesday in a statement made available on the WHO official website.
The WHO revealed that an estimate of 12 billion workdays are lost yearly as a result of depression and anxiety, adding that this has cost the global economy almost one trillion US dollars.
The two global bodies noted that the need to establish guidelines to tackle mental health risks in workplaces is to create a more safe and healthy working environment for workers.
They disclosed that new guidelines are now published to achieve the laudable objective of a healthy working environment.
According to the WHO, the guidelines call for interventions intended for the protection of health, humanitarian, and emergency workers.
The UN health agency said, “An estimated 12 billion workdays are lost annually due to depression and anxiety costing the global economy nearly US$ 1 trillion.
“Two new publications which aim to address this issue are published today – WHO Guidelines on mental health at work and a derivative WHO/ILO policy brief.
“For the first time WHO recommends manager training, to build their capacity to prevent stressful work environments and respond to workers in distress.
“The guidelines also recommend better ways to accommodate the needs of workers with mental health conditions, propose interventions that support their return to work and, for those with severe mental health conditions, provide interventions that facilitate entry into paid employment.
“Importantly, the guidelines call for interventions aimed at the protection of health, humanitarian, and emergency workers.”
TheWHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “It’s time to focus on the detrimental effect work can have on our mental health.
“The well-being of the individual is reason enough to act, but poor mental health can also have a debilitating impact on a person’s performance and productivity. These new guidelines can help prevent negative work situations and cultures and offer much-needed mental health protection and support for working people.”
The global health agency added that work intensifies broader societal issues that could negatively affect the mental health of workers, as well as discrimination and inequality.
“Bullying and psychological violence (also known as “mobbing”) is a key complaint of workplace harassment that has a negative impact on mental health. Yet discussing or disclosing mental health remains a taboo in work settings globally.
“A separate WHO/ILO policy brief explains the WHO guidelines in terms of practical strategies for governments, employers and workers, and their organisations, in the public and private sectors.
“The aim is to support the prevention of mental health risks, protect and promote mental health at work, and support those with mental health conditions, so they can participate and thrive in the world of work. Investment and leadership will be critical to the implementation of the strategies,” WHO said.
The ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder said, “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.”
The WHO added, “The ILO Occupational Safety and Health Convention (No. 155) and Recommendation (No. 164) provides legal frameworks to protect the health and safety of workers.
However, the WHO Mental Health Atlas discovered that only 35 per cent of countries reported having national programmes for work-related mental health promotion and prevention.
“COVID-19 triggered a 25 per cent increase in general anxiety and depression worldwide, exposing how unprepared governments were for its impact on mental health, and revealing a chronic global shortage of mental health resources. In 2020, governments worldwide spent an average of just two per cent of health budgets on mental health, with lower-middle income countries investing less than one per cent,” it noted.
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