World Mental Health Day, 10 October 2024
Mental Health at Work

Dr Nelson Loitongbam *

Tucked away in the second or third pages of the newspapers, the headings read like “26 years old CA dies in sleep in Pune”, “32 years old CEO of a Software start-up collapses on the stage and declared dead in Bangalore”.

Another article goes to say “A young woman of 29 years and Cardiac anaesthetist by profession collapses in the Operation theatre and dies of a massive cardiac arrest in New Delhi”, the list goes on. This is the harsh reality of today’s world.

This World Mental Health Day, WHO is uniting with partners to highlight the vital connection between mental health and work, safe, healthy working environments can act as a protective factor for mental health.

Unhealthy conditions including stigma, discrimination, and exposure to risks like harassment and other poor working conditions, can pose significant risks, affecting mental health, overall quality of life and consequently participation or productivity at work. With 60% of the global population in work, urgent action is needed to ensure work prevents risks to mental health and protects and supports mental health at work.

Workplace Stress : A neglected aspect of mental health well-being

Workplace stress remains an often-neglected aspect across different industries and countries, including India. World Health Organization defines workplace stress as ‘the response people may have when presented with work demands and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge and abilities and which challenge their ability to cope’.

Some key factors that cause increased stress at workplace are workload (both excessive and insufficient work), lack of participation and control in the workplace, monotonous or unpleasant tasks, role ambiguity or conflict, lack of recognition at work, inequity, poor interpersonal relationships, poor working conditions, poor leadership and communication and conflicting home and work demands.

Anxiety or Depression are not the only outcome of stress, physical disorders such as hypertension and diabetes can also be caused due to stress.

While research has established the two-way link between stress and these physical disorders, organizations need to realize this and encourage staff to maintain a good work-life balance and have guidelines about working hours based on good industrial practices and take measures to enforce these routinely.

Sexual harassment and bullying at workplace is another workplace-related stress that can happen at any organization. Both genders could be affected by these, but often women and those lower in the hierarchy are at increased risk.

Brouwers conducted a cross-sectional study across 35 countries including India and reported that about two-third of employees who had suffered from depression either faced discrimination at work or faced discrimination while applying for new jobs. Both perceived and anticipated discrimination are major causes for people suffering silently at the workplace and not seeking proper care.

With surveys suggesting Indian workers are reporting higher levels of work-related stress, the country’s employers are being urged to step up their efforts to support employee mental wellbeing, including educating staff about the importance of maintaining a good work-life balance.

When Miss X, a HR professional, quit her high paying job in a multinational last year, people around her were shocked. “They asked in disbelief, ‘How could you!’ But only a few asked ‘why’,” the 35-year-old single woman recounts.

Explaining the reasons behind her decision, she said: “There were various challenges and I couldn’t separate my emotions from my work.”

She points out that the chronic stress was caused by heavy workloads, a long commute, little autonomy and long work hours. “As a result, I had no time to unwind as I could never let go of work thoughts. I couldn’t sleep as I would mostly dread getting up and going to work the next day.”

She adds: “I am not sure whether my workplace qualified as truly toxic, but I would have appreciated and stayed longer had there been more work-life harmony, mattering at work, and opportunity for growth.” Miss X spent more than 10 years at the organisation, and, although she is jobless now, she is content and “no longer gets the feeling of having a pit in the stomach”.

So, if you think your workplace is toxic and this causes you to feel almost permanently stressed, you are not alone. With people facing more intense working days than ever, and less time for their personal lives, stress and burnout are all too common for even the most resilient professionals who feel the strain of long hours, high job demands and keeping up with the latest technologies.

And research shows that workplace stress continues to mount – a recent survey found a staggering 76 per cent of Indian workers complained about a stressful work environment and 49 per cent reported that their poor mental health was having a negative impact on their productivity at work.

In a study, People at Work 2023: A Global Workforce View, by the ADP Research Institute, throws light on employee attitudes towards their work environments and their expectations. Globally, 65 per cent of workers reported that stress is adversely affecting their work and 47 per cent have similar concerns regarding their mental wellbeing, according to the survey of more than 32,000 workers, including those in the gig economy, across 17 countries.

In addition, a 2021 survey of 3,881 professionals revealed that 55 per cent of India’s workforce experiences job stress.

Stress can lead to poor mental health

Although stress is not an illness, if workers experience it frequently it can lead to poor health and even injury, and increase the risk of mental health conditions such as depression.

In another syudy, All in the Mind - The State of Mental Health in Corporate India, by Gi Group found that approximately 42.5 per cent of people in ‘corporate’ India (i.e. leading small, medium and large-scale businesses) are suffering from an anxiety disorder or depression.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of illness or infirmity. The Covid-19 pandemic has had a lasting impact on both the physical and mental wellbeing of people. Globally, an estimated 264 million people suffer from depression and anxiety, and WHO estimates that India accounts for nearly 15 per cent of the global mental health burden.

Work-related stress can be a major cause of employee ill health. Anxiety, panic disorders and depression are common ailments caused and aggravated by occupational stress.

Loss of concentration, poor decision-making, anxiety and depression caused or aggravated by occupational stress have a negative impact both on the individual’s performance and development at work and the organisation itself – for example, causing poor productivity, staff absence and high employee turnover. A 2022 Deloitte report estimated that “poor mental health amongst employees costs Indian employers around $14 billion per year due to absenteeism, presenteeism, and attrition”.

Experts say that to prevent, or minimise, the impact of work-related stress it is essential managers are trained to spot the signs of stress among their teams and understand how factors such as excessive job demands, inadequate management support and poor relationships among people at work can cause or aggravate stress and poor mental health.

They add that where there are signs of stress in teams, it is vital the company’s management and HR practitioners review and where necessary improve their initiatives to remove or reduce the causes of stress and reduce the impact of pressure at work.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO): Mental health and work are closely linked

A supportive work environment fosters mental health, providing purpose and stability. But poor working conditions can harm mental well-being, reducing both job satisfaction and productivity.

Workers face risks to mental health

There are various risks to mental health that workers may face including discrimination, poor working conditions, or limited autonomy. Low paid or insecure jobs often lack adequate protections, leaving workers in these jobs more exposed to psychosocial risks.

Impact on individuals

Lack of support for people with mental health conditions can negatively impact their self-confidence, enjoyment at work, capacity to work, absences and ability to gain employment. Carers and family members are similarly affected.

Wider impact on work and society

Poor mental health can lead to decreased performance, absence from work, and increased staff turnover. Depression and anxiety alone result in the loss of approximately 12 billion workdays each year.

Stigma creates barriers to employment

Stigma and discrimination often prevent people with mental health conditions from seeking help or finding and keeping jobs. Reducing workplace discrimination through awareness, training, and engagement with people living with mental health conditions creates healthier, more inclusive work environments .

Supporting workers to participate and thrive in work

Employers should apply reasonable accommodations to support workers with mental health conditions in the workplace . This means, for example, organizing regular supportive meetings, scheduling frequent breaks, gradually reintroducing workers to tasks, and providing storage for medication.

Training managers to support mental health

Employers should provide managers with training to recognize and address stressors in the workplace. Trained managers can effectively support their teams and foster a healthier, more supportive work environment.

Government action and collaboration are essential

Governments, employers, and representative organizations must work together to create policies that prevent mental health risks, promote well-being, and build supportive workplaces where mental health is prioritized.

Taking care of your own mental health

Although governments and employers have the primary responsibility to protect and promote mental health at work, you can take steps to support your own well-being. Learn techniques to manage stress and stay mindful of changes in your mental health. If needed, reach out for support from a trusted friend, family member, colleague, supervisor, or health professional.

It is essential for governments, employers, the organizations which represent workers and employers, and other stakeholders responsible for workers’ health and safety to work together to improve mental health at work. Action to address mental health at work should be done with the meaningful involvement of workers and their representatives, and persons with lived experience of mental health conditions.

By investing efforts and resources in evidence-based approaches and interventions at work, we can ensure that everyone has the opportunity to thrive at work and in life. Let’s take action today for a healthier future.