WHO and ILO call for new measures to tackle mental health issues at work

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have called for concrete action to address mental health concerns in the working population.
An estimated 12 billion workdays are lost annually due to depression and anxiety costing the global economy nearly US$ one trillion.
WHO’s global guidelines on mental health at work recommend actions to tackle risks to mental health such as heavy workloads, negative behaviours and other factors that create distress at work. For the first time WHO recommends manager training, to build their capacity to prevent stressful work environments and respond to workers in distress.
Bullying and psychological violence (also known as ‘mobbing’) are key complaints of workplace harassment that have a negative impact on mental health. Yet discussing or disclosing mental health remains a taboo in work settings globally.
“It’s time to focus on the detrimental effect work can have on our mental health,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “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 WHO Mental Health Atlas found that only 35 per cent of countries reported having national programmes for work-related mental health promotion and prevention.
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.

Alex Shishlo for Rough&Polished