Today, a staggering number of people in the global workforce, numbering in the millions, are grappling with a range of mental health conditions.
The WHO’s mental health guidelines are the result of a collaborative effort. They recommend evidence-based strategies and interventions that can benefit people worldwide.
Our mental health can be affected by the situations going on throughout our lives, including how we are treated at workplaces as well. Mental health is not given as much attention as physical health should be, and people with mental health conditions are often seen as being discriminated against or excluded.
That’s why the introduction of WHO guidelines on mental health at work has been appreciated by all, from which employees can feel safe and thrive in a healthy environment.
Guidelines on Mental Health at Work
Did you know that about 15% of adults at work suffer from a mental disorder at some point?
WHO’s guidelines on how to tackle mental health at work consist of different practical recommendations that help prevent situations that can give rise to mental health conditions so that employees don’t feel overwhelmed and flourish in their jobs.
Dr. Alicia Pappas, PhD, a clinical psychologist who coordinated the publication of the WHO guidelines on mental health at work, explains how the institution thought to create this guideline:
“WHO thought okay; we have a mechanism for creating evidence-based guidelines. Let’s create evidence-based guidelines for mental health at work that allow us to look into what works, and that was kind of the thinking behind why we started this work in the first place.”
One of the most important aspects of introducing these WHO guidelines is that they have set the policies with the help of the International Labor Organization (ILO). The ILO, a specialized agency of the United Nations, is dedicated to promoting social justice and internationally recognized human and labor rights. This collaboration gives confidence that the institution has considered practical actions at workplaces.
Anil Soni, CEO of the WHO Foundation, quotes the introduction of mental health at work guidelines by the foundation:
“Supporting and funding the work of WHO to promote good employee mental health is a priority for the WHO Foundation, and I know many employers have a tremendous contribution to make in this area. This is a pivotal moment to take a systemic, organizational approach to creating a workplace where people can truly thrive and their physical and mental wellbeing is valued.”
Practical recommendations range from providing training to conducting workplace employee interventions and more. All these recommendations aim to improve the condition of interventions for people at work.
Here are the guidelines as suggested by the WHO Foundation to safeguard employees’ mental health:
1. Organizational Interventions
WHO suggests that organizational interventions such as assessing psychosocial risk factors, building a flexible work schedule, and more can help promote job satisfaction and even improve employees’ performance.
If the organizations take proper interventions to tackle the different work problems of the employees, like clearing their role in the company, involving them in decision-making, and modifying their workloads accordingly, then the chances of developing mental health conditions decrease.
2. Interventions to Protect and Promote Mental Health at Work
These interventions are further divided into three main points through which we can promote mental health literacy and create policies that help prevent mental health conditions.
- Manager Training: The managers of workplaces should be trained to acquire skills like communication, effective listening, and more to perform the task of identifying and addressing the workers’ mental health at a workplace.
- Training for workers in mental health literacy and awareness: Worker training is essential so that employees can understand how to handle stressful situations, know when to ask for help for their mental or physical health, and develop coping mechanisms.
- Individual Interventions: Different individual interventions exist, like Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), which support and counsel employees. EAPs can also hold health workshops where the employees are encouraged to seek assistance if necessary.
3. Interventions to support workers with mental health conditions
This block focuses on providing ways to handle the situation when a worker works with a mental health condition at an organization.
- Reasonable Accommodation at Work: This guideline tells organizations to adapt to workers’ capacities and not overwhelm or stress employees, which can lead to mental health conditions in the long run.
- Return-to-Work Programs: It’s essential to understand the condition and support the employee who’s returning to work after a leave because of a mental health-related issue. If return-to-work programs are implemented, the worker’s transition can be easier.
- Supported Employment Initiatives: People with mental health conditions should be able to work on the job while receiving treatment for their condition. This action can be a big step in freeing your workplace from stigma and discrimination.
4. Multi-stakeholder action for mental health at work
Stakeholders can also play their part in raising awareness about mental health and supporting the implementation of the OSH regulations on mental health at the workplace. Following are the WHO-recommended ways to tackle mental health subjects by different organizations:
- Employer’s and workers’ organizations: Both organizations are trained to understand the work laws and can thus provide information, hold campaigns, consult with members, and perform all the other tasks to benefit employees’ mental health.
- Civil Society Organization: Civil society is among the main bodies to tackle mental health issues. Thus, even removing the stigma about it in the workplace and generally advocating for and raising awareness about it can be the role of civil society.
- Health Service Planners: The role of health service planners is important because they can act as intermediaries between employees and employers. They develop appropriate policies to care for mental health at work and ensure these guidelines are followed.
Conclusion
These guidelines on mental health at work give everybody, from workers and employers to civil bodies, a proper framework and ideas for practical intervention so that the world understands the importance of mental health. Implementing these recommendations by the WHO can decrease work-related stress and support people with mental health conditions.
