SPL20 MENTAL HEALTH AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
Authors: Denis Marie-Agnès 
Published: July 2024

Mental health problems at work are currently among the most important causes of absenteeism and the latter has significantly developed over the recent decades. These mental health problems lead usually to long periods of disability and present high risks of relapse.

Improving mental health at work means

- caring for mental disorders because people with poor mental health are more at risk of developing severe complications to which one in five people may be affected in their lifetime

- avoiding psychological distress that results from of a set of negative emotions experienced by individuals, which can lead to depression or anxiety syndromes

- promoting well-being

- and, also, searching for and removing psychosocial risks which, according to the Gollac report, are caused by poor employment conditions or inadequate organisational or relational factors that may interact with mental functioning.

In industrialised countries, the intensity of work has increased over the past 20 years. More employees feel they are asked to work very quickly or produce more work. Furthermore, changes in working conditions have been analysed in terms of economic benefits to companies, regardless of the health damages they promote. A growing body of research has shown that exposure to psychosocial risks (such as high psychological demands, low autonomy, poor social support, and lack of recognition) contributes to the development of psychological health problems (high psychological distress, depression, burnout, and even suicide). In return, deterioration in employees’ health because of psychosocial risks may have a major impact on a company's productivity.

Within this context, what are the contributions of work psychology? In 2015, Yves Clot (professor emeritus at the French Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers) said: “The pleasure of 'work well done' is the best prevention against 'stress': there is no 'well-being' without 'doing well'. Work well done is the key to well-being at work”.

Occupational medicine specialists often talk about recognition as a condition for a well-done job. During the health crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the usually invisible frontline workers experienced a new positive feeling of social recognition; this revealed what was previously abnormal.

In 2022, the global outlook for labour markets has deteriorated significantly. The COVID-19 crisis has led to an increase in informality and in-work poverty. Large decent work deficits persist around the world, undermining social justice. A climate of high and persistent international uncertainty can worsen currently bad working conditions.

Primary prevention actions for mental health require managers’ commitment, time, and energy as well as investment of human, financial, and material resources. They act directly on the causes of work-related stress in the organization and reduce the negative impact on the psychological health of individuals. They can be integrated into daily management activities and produce lasting results, but several months may pass before seeing their first positive effects.

Policy-makers around the world are increasingly interested in the issues of commitment to work and promotion of decent work; this includes an interest in psychosocial risks but this interest has yet to show visible results.