Mental Health at Work – WHO issues new guidance
According to the World Health Organisation, an estimated 15% of working-age adults have a mental disorder at some point in time. Depression and anxiety have a damaging impact on the global economy and people living with severe mental health conditions are largely excluded from work.
The WHO has now published guidance on mental health at work that provides 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.
The recommendations cover the following areas...
- Organisational interventions
- Manager training and worker training
- Individual interventions
- Return to work
- Gaining employment
The guidance aims to improve the implementation of evidence-based interventions for mental health at work. It recommends a 3 tier approach that can help employers cope more effectively with the challenges that poor mental health can create.
- Prevention
In the same way that having a first aid kit in the office does not prevent slips and trips, having a Mental Health First Aider does not prevent issues from arising. The guidance suggests that looking to make changes to the working environment and culture can minimise psychosocial risks and help to prevent workers from developing mental health conditions related to their employment. -
Protection and Promotion
The principle means of achieving this objective is through staff training and awareness. Employers should educate key workers to be able to recognise the early warning signs and understand how to promote early interventions. -
Support
Organisations should consider what support they provide to workers with existing mental health conditions and look at ways that support measures can be improved. Everyone in the workplace should also be informed about what support is available to them.The WHO says it anticipates that the guidelines will facilitate national and workplace-level actions regarding policy development, service planning and delivery in the key areas of mental health and occupational health. This should lead to more effective evidence-based interventions promoting good mental health at work.
You can download the full guidance here.
How can we help?
It is increasingly important for employers to be aware of mental health issues and how to protect your employees and business from the disruption that they can cause. Our brand new course, Mental Health in the Workplace will be taking place in London on 15th November when Keith Dewey will explain exactly what you should do to address these important issues. We also have the first online date coming up in early 2023. To find out more about the course and book your places go to this page.
http://www.uktraining.eu/news-article/mental-health-at-work-who-issues-new-guidance-/143