“Favorable working conditions They can improve mental health by offering goals and stability. “On the other hand, poor working conditions harm mental well-being by reducing job satisfaction and productivity.” This is the message that the World Health Organization wants to send this year on the occasion of International Mental Health Day, which is celebrated he next October 10, under the motto ‘Work and mental health, a fundamental link’.
An issue, that of mental health problems in the work environment, which, far from improving, increases year after year. In fact, according to data managed at the national level, casualties due to psychological disorders throughout 2023 were around 600,000 people, 16% more than in the same period of the previous year, and they have doubled in the last 7 years. Figures that do not include cases of pathologies whose main diagnosis is another but that They can be lengthened due to mental health issues. Nor does it include the cases of people who do not take sick leave and suffer from the pathology.
Furthermore, according to the WHO, 12 billion days of work are lost each year due to depression and anxiety. This represents losses of more than 1 billion dollars each year due to lost productivity.
“If we look back, we can see that thirty years ago, people who suffered from a psychological disorder They were the exception. There was no talk of depression or anxiety. Nowadays the concept is becoming normalized and there is greater information and detectionalthough there is still a long way to go,” explains Dr. Gabriel Toledo, director of the Medical Health Surveillance Service of the DKV Seguros group.
What all the experts consulted agree on is that the work can have a significant impact on mental health, both positive and negative. “A healthy environment promotes well-being and people feel valued, motivated, and safe, which promotes psychological well-being; while a toxic environment can contribute to stress, anxiety, and lead to depression,” says Vanesa Gómez, head of the Asapme Aragón People Area.
“Thirty years ago, people who suffered from a psychological disorder were the exception. There was no talk of depression. Today the concept has been destigmatized and there is greater information and detection”
An opinion shared by Luis Cortés, psychologist and health manager at Afda, who assures that “increasingly, work environments impose on people who develop their careers in them situations likely to cause intense emotional discomfort; precariousness, interpersonal conflicts, pressure, etc… which turns into stress, irritability, painful thoughts, feelings of injustice…”.
Lack of motivation
Regarding the factors that can negatively affect our mental health, experts indicate that they are, fundamentally, excessive workload, lack of social support and job uncertainty. “Work stress can also be caused by tight deadlines, lack of resources, job insecurity and uncertainty about the future of secure employment. All of this does not allow you to develop a full personal life,” says Vanesa Gómez, while also cited as causes of this poor occupational health, “the lack of recognition and not feeling that the effort is valued.”
“The repertoire that all of us have learned to deal with this discomfort gives us gasps of air, moments of relief. Therefore, When the work context becomes complicated, psychological discomfort increases“, confirms Luis Cortés, while ensuring that “the most painful consequence of this type of behavior is that it competes with others that in the past generated more lasting personal satisfaction. They allowed me to look like the professional, the father, the partner that I would really like to be. Losing myself along the way.”
Recognize the problem
In any case, and for try to get out of this buble, Mental health professionals consider that raising awareness of this problem must be prioritized to destigmatize it, since this is key to creating a safe and healthy work environment. “Mental health is just as important as physical health. and when awareness is promoted, stigmas are reduced, allowing employees to seek help without fear of judgment. This also allows organizations to implement preventive strategies, such as emotional support programs, mindfulness or well-being sessions and resources for stress management. “Education, as a preventive measure, helps employees take care of their emotional well-being,” remembers Vanesa Gómez.
And it is also necessary to take perspective in three directions: recognize how you tend to move when you suffer. (self-knowledge); observe the real consequences it is having on you (being true to yourself, losing yourself, moving away from the ideal you have as a person); and “connect again with what really matters in your life and take a step in that direction,” says Luis Cortés.
“It is important to connect again with what really matters in your life and take a step in that direction”
“Many people learn to do the same throughout their lives on their own, without any help. But many others need someone to help us in this perspective-taking process. Psychological therapy is usually an option in those situations.” cases,” says Cortés.
Economic consequences
Regarding absenteeism due to mental health reasons, it is difficult to obtain accurate information since there are many cases of patients who take leave for other pathologies and have to extend it, not always voluntarily, because they are not mentally well and are unable to work. We should also add that we should not only focus on absenteeism, but also on all those patients who, while not on leave, are suffering from a mental health problem,” explains Dr. Gabriel Toledo, director of the Medical Health Surveillance Service. of the DKV Seguros group.
In addition to the serious health problem that these situations cause among those who suffer from them, Leave due to mental illness represents a great economic problem for companies for different reasons.among them, the difficulty in determining how long a loss of this type will last. “In many illnesses and ailments a minimum or maximum sick leave time can be foreseen, but In these cases it is very complicated. These are patients who generally need medication, support and monitoring. “We are interested in the patient to know what they need and offer our help.”
“In many illnesses and ailments a minimum or maximum sick leave period can be foreseen, but in these cases it is very complicated”
On the other hand, Dr. Toledo points out that one of the key factors in the detection of mental health problems in companies is that “team managers They must have training and skills in mental health. When a worker arrives at his job shuffling his feet, it is evident that he could have a mental health problem and in this case early detection is essential.”
Finally, many people experiencing these problems for the first time say that it is “like a traffic accident, that always happens to others, but never to them. They do not know what was the last straw that precipitated everything and, although we know that normally the cause is multifactorial, from Company Medical Services, we must detect and provide the necessary support for the recovery of our patients. I always like to remind you that Even if they don’t believe it at the time, with the help of this they can get out.” concludes Gabriel Toledo