The implications of mental-health conditions are far-reaching
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental-health conditions are increasing worldwide [1]. In 2022, the WHO released a report reviewing mental health globally. It cited social and economic inequalities, public-health emergencies, war and the climate crisis as global and structural threats to mental health. The report also found that in the first year of the covid-19 pandemic, depression and anxiety increased by 25% globally [2]. Mental-health conditions impact all aspects of life—professional, social and personal—but conversations addressing these aspects are often conducted in silos.
Workplace conversations surrounding mental health are, however, increasingly frequent. An Economist Impact programme entitled Examining innovative methods to improve mental health in the workplace [3] cautioned that while there has been an increase in attention to mental wellness at work, many employees perceive this as being purely for show. The programme also explains that workplace mental health encapsulates more than just the individual; it impacts both employee and employer, which in the long run, impacts society at large.
Climate change is also a mental-health issue. An Economist Impact article, World Health Day: climate change is a mental-health concern [4], reveals that mental-health challenges are likely to increase with further global warming. The programme references evidence of subclinical depressive emotions, despair and guilt among people in countries directly hit by climate disasters.
The cost of ignoring mental health
According to the US National Institutes of Health, when mental-health issues go unaddressed, they contribute to economic loss because of absenteeism from school or work, increased drop-out rates, health-care expenditure and unemployment [5]. It is increasingly important to address mental-health concerns in the workplace because organisations otherwise stand to lose productivity and employee retention, leading to smaller profit margins [6]. This can ultimately affect economic growth through impacts on labour supply and earnings. A study highlighting mental health in countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) explains that the direct cost associated with a loss in productivity is $3.5bn [7], not including treatment costs.
Though there have been strides in addressing mental-health concerns, there are still improvements to be made. For example, solutions should include efforts to promote resilience, which is something we have not seen thus far. And when it comes to climate change, mental-health issues related to the climate crisis should be made more prominent among scholars, practitioners and policymakers to inform the direction of investment in addressing the issue [8].
The implications of mental-health conditions extend far beyond the individual, impacting society overall. Societal collaboration on removing barriers to health care, eliminating stigma and fostering understanding will ensure that mental-health concerns are addressed in empirically informed ways that ultimately reduce the prevalence of mental illness, promote well-being, and encourage society to value and prioritise mental health.
Mental health in the Middle East: Measuring progress towards integrated, accessible and equitable mental health [9] revealed the need to bridge gaps between resources to meet needs, ensure that mental-health patients are not isolated from the community, and address stigma surrounding mental health. The report highlights that for Middle Eastern countries, the prevalence of mental-health conditions is comparable, or even higher in some instances, than the global average due to the practice of isolating patients with mental-health conditions, a lack of understanding about mental health, and stigma. The burden of mental-health concerns is on the rise, but there have been initiatives to address them. The report reveals that many Middle Eastern countries are:
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Taking the initiative to introduce national strategies and plans for mental health
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Investing money and resources in addressing mental-health concerns
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Creating protection strategies for people with mental-health concerns
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Integrating mental-health services with other sectors
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Devising strategies to reach vulnerable populations
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Integrating mental-health care with primary care
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Working towards affordable mental-health services
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Increasing accessibility through the use of telehealth
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Creating mental-health helplines
According to the report, progress in recent years is promising, especially because it is engaging diverse stakeholders, civil society and government. Through the initiatives summarised above, the report notes that best practices are beginning to appear in some areas of mental-health provision, and health systems are becoming more equipped to assume costs associated with treatment. Strategies for improvement are also outlined in the report; these include:
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Creating and ensuring cost-effective mental-health services
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Integrating mental-health services into primary care
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Addressing comorbidities between mental health and other priority health services
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Expanding resources such as helplines to ensure support for a mental-health crisis at any hour
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Integration within mental-health policy
Case Study: Examining innovative methods to improve mental health in the workplace
This Economist Impact programme focused on mental health in the workplace and highlighted transformative strategies that companies implemented to support employee mental health. Those focused on building supportive workplaces, improving ways of working, supporting employees with mental-health challenges, and helping employees achieve a work/life balance.
Existing strategies point towards promising change in the realm of mental health in the workplace. However, in addition to encouraging the de-stigmatisation of using mental-health resources, focusing on prevention, easing external stressors and fostering community, the report proposes further ways to progress towards best practices and sustainable workplace environments in the context of mental health. These include [10]:
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Adopting positive leadership practices
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Fostering community and peer engagement
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Addressing stigma
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Avoiding and addressing burnout
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Creating resource groups
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Achieving work/life balance
References:
[1] https://www.who.int/health-topics/mental-health#tab=tab_2
[2] https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240049338
[3] https://impact.economist.com/health/workplace-mental-health/
[4] https://impact.economist.com/sustainability/social-sustainability/world-health-day-climate-change-is-a-mental-health-concern
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2935265/
[6] https://impact.economist.com/health/workplace-mental-health/
[7] https://www.pwc.com/m1/en/publications/socio-economic-impact-untreated-mental-illness.html
[8] https://impact.economist.com/sustainability/social-sustainability/world-health-day-climate-change-is-a-mental-health-concern
[9] https://impact.economist.com/perspectives/sites/default/files/janssen-measuring_mental_health_integration_in_the_middle_east-report-a4-v4.pdf
[10] https://impact.economist.com/health/workplace-mental-health/
