The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued guidelines on mental health at work which provide evidence-based recommendations to promote mental health, prevent mental health conditions, and enable people living with mental health conditions to participate and thrive in work.
An estimated 15% of working-age adults have a mental disorder at any point in time. Depression and anxiety are estimated to cost the global economy almost £1 trillion each year driven predominantly by lost productivity. People living with severe mental health conditions are largely excluded from work despite participation in economic activities being important for recovery.
The recommendations focus on seven key areas of intervention:
- Organisational – tackling work risks, like workload and work hours
- Training managers/supervisors in mental health, so they can prevent mental health issues from emerging and support workers in distress
- Training workers in mental health awareness to avoid stigmatising attitudes towards others
- Individual – for example, using physical activity and psychosocial interventions to help build skills in stress management
- Making reasonable accommodations for workers with mental health problems, including adjustments to work
- Supporting people who’ve been absent with mental health problems to return to work
- Supported employment, to help people with severe mental disorders gain work.
The full guide is available to download here.
Last updated 12 October 22