Fostering Mental Health at Work

A Year-Round Commitment for Thriving Organizations

Each year the World Health Organization (WHO) celebrates the mental health day on October 10th. This year it is dedicated to mental health at work. According to the WHO 12 billion working days are lost every year to depression and anxiety, which costs the global economy $1 trillion in lost productivity.

Work as one of the most important domains of life has the potential to influence mental health in many ways. Safe, healthy working environments can act as a protective factor for mental health. A supportive work environment fosters mental health, providing purpose and stability. A working environment where leaders truly care for their employees, where social relationships are based on trust and where employees have enough resources to cope with challenging situations can foster mental health and wellbeing. However, poor working conditions can harm employee mental health, reducing both job satisfaction and productivity.

Therefore, understanding how to nurture mental health at work is crucial for the sustainable development of both employees and organizations. Mental health is not just the absence of illness, in fact, organizations should strive for optimal mental health of their employees that enables employees to flourish. This can be done by strategically creating inclusive and sustainable work environment where mental health and well-being are embedded in the organizational culture and systems. To do so, organizations need to plan and implement a strategy that supports mental health highlighting prevention at work, promotion of wellbeing and protecting mental health at work, as well as support for personnel with mental health conditions.

Some tips to start taking care of mental health at work

  • Check how you are doing – Look at the data in your organization
  • Assess the psychosocial risks of your working environment and the organizational culture + individual assessment
  • Design and create realistic evidence-based programs to foster mental health at the workplace
  • Promote change at the workplace by focusing on your employees’ needs – foster their resources
  • Evaluate and see how you are doing
  • Continue the process

And remember it is not a one-man job, everyone has a role in fostering mental health at work.

Mental health at work is not a one-day celebration, it is a lifestyle!

At WireUp we co create solutions for your organization and can contribute to making mental health at work the lifestyle of your organization!

by Marija Davcheva, PhD in Psychology of Human Resources

Last updated Oct 10, 2024

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