It is time to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace

World Mental Health Day is officially commemorated on 10 October every year and is an opportunity to embrace the sense of community and promote mental wellbeing. The World Mental Health Day 2024 theme, “It is time to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace” is a call to action to improve public understanding on mental health at work. This Day highlights the importance  of raising awareness  on  positive benefits of work for mental health,  and provides information on risks to mental health in the workplace.

Work and mental health are closely intertwined. A safe and healthy working environment supports mental health, while good mental health enables people to work productively. However, harmful or poor working conditions, hazardous work environments and work organization, poor working relationships or unemployment and the prolonged exposure to these, can significantly contribute to worsening mental health or exacerbate existing mental health conditions. Without effective structures and support in place, and despite a willingness to work, the impact of unsupported mental health conditions can affect self-confidence, enjoyment at work, capacity to work, absences and ability to gain employment. Carers and family members are similarly affected.

An estimated 62% of the global population aged 15 years and above are economically active. As of 2022, almost 60% of the world’s population is in work. An estimated 15% of working-age adults have a mental health disorder at any point in time. Globally, as of 2019, 301 million people were living with anxiety, 280 million people were living with depression, 64 million people were living with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, and 703 000 people died by suicide. Many of these individuals were of working-age. The most prevalent mental health conditions (i.e. depression and anxiety), are estimated to cost the global economy US$ 1 trillion each year, with the cost driven predominantly by lost productivity. Globally, people living with severe mental health conditions including psychosocial disabilities such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are, for reasons such as stigma and discrimination, largely excluded from work despite the fact that participation in economic activities is important for recovery.

In Sri Lanka, the prevalence of mental health disorders excluding substance use is estimated to be 11.9%, with 4.5% of anxiety disorders and 3.3% being depressive disorders based on 2019 estimates. The prevalence of mental health disorders aged 20 years and above  is estimated to be 13.3%, which includes the majority of working population. Based on 2022 International Labour Organization modelled estimates, employment -population ratio in Sri Lanka is 47.5%, where half of the population belongs to the working group.

Persons of working age spend a significant proportion of their time working. Work presents an opportunity to promote good mental health and prevent and support people living with mental health conditions. The promotion of mental well-being and the prevention of mental health conditions have been recognized as means to achieving the global priority for the reduction of premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) by one third (United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, target 3.4). The WHO Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan, 2013–2030 sets a global objective for mental health promotion and prevention of mental health disorders and for the provision of comprehensive, integrated and responsive services in community-based settings including workplaces. The WHO global strategy on health, environment and climate change identifies workplaces as essential settings for the prevention of a range of modifiable risks, particularly for NCDs.  In 2022, WHO’s World Mental Health Report: Transforming Mental Health for All, highlighted the workplace as a key example of a setting where transformative action on mental health is needed. 

WHO guidelines on mental health at work provide recommendations on organizational interventions, manager and worker training and individual interventions for the promotion of positive mental health and prevention of mental health conditions, while WHO Mental Health at Work Guidance for Employers and Policymakers highlights the actions to prevent workers from experiencing mental health conditions, protect and promote mental health at work, support workers with mental health conditions and create enabling environment for change.

Ministry of Health Sri Lanka, with WHO support, commemorates Mental Health Day 2024, highlighting various aspects of mental health at work, from workplace conditions and stress management to the importance of social inclusion and empowerment together with psychosocial support and mental health promotion at workplace.

WHO Sri Lanka supported the Ministry of Health in conducting advocacy on implementation of Mental Health Policy and Action Plan, which includes the mental health promotion at workplace as one of the main strategic area, while safeguarding rights of the people with mental health conditions.

In addition, WHO together with Ministry of Health, developed the implementation of the ‘Deinstitutionalization of people with mental health conditions’ strategy in Sri Lanka by strengthening and scaling up the community-based mental health services, with one of the aims of providing a supported-living and structured environment including employment for those recovering from mental health conditions. A workshop followed by  several field visits was held to advocate to all relevant health and non-health stakeholders and explore the means of strengthening the community mental health services as well as mental health services beyond health sector in Sri Lanka.

‘Workshop on implementation of deinstitutionalization of people with mental health conditions in Sri Lanka’