Mental health in the workplace needs to become a priority

Typically, we dedicate at least one-third of our day—or more, in some cases—at the workplace to earn a living. For instance, a person with a career spanning over 35 years has spent about a decade in the workplace dealing with colleagues, clients, and others. The impact of our work on every sphere of our lives is undeniable.

According to the World Mental Health Report 2022, around one billion people worldwide suffer from mental illness such as depression and anxiety, developmental disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. These problems cost an estimated $1 trillion annually if not addressed, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

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Prioritising mental health is not merely a benevolent choice; it is a strategic imperative enhancing both employee well-being and organisational performance. Needless to say, physical health and mental health are closely connected. If someone feels mentally stressed, it will definitely take a toll on their physical state. Psychosomatic disorders illustrate this link. Therefore, sound mental health on and off the workplace is crucial to staying fit physically. When mental well-being is ensured in the workplace, employees feel motivated and dignified, and in turn become proactive to perform in an effective and efficient manner to meet organisational goals.

Based on mutual consensus, the employers' commitment to equitable treatment, impartiality, and tolerance for a diversity of viewpoints, coupled with the encouragement of independent thoughts among colleagues and the cultivation of a workplace culture eschewing unnecessary interference, collectively contribute to protect and promote the mental well-being of employees.

Conversely, although the workplace has the potential to be a pivotal source of individual well-being, implementation of inconsistent policies by the authority, inequitable distribution of responsibilities among colleagues, excessive workload, unfair evaluation of contributions, pay disparities, irregularities in promotions, and instances of biased behaviour emerge as significant determinants of psychosocial stress leading to diminished productivity among the workforce in an organisation. Prioritising mental health in the workplace helps employees manage their emotions, express themselves clearly and control their frustrations, preventing misunderstandings, reducing stress, and lowering the chances of a conflict arising.

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Though mental health in the workplace is a global concern, psychological ailments are still underrated and under-researched compared to physical illness in the context of Bangladesh. The Mental Health Act, 2018 was adopted in place of the Lunacy Act, 1912, aimed at ensuring the dignity of people with mental health conditions, their healthcare and rehabilitation. The National Mental Health Strategic Plan 2020-2030, a comprehensive healthcare approach, focuses on issues associated with mental health, multisectoral planning, and human resource management. However, provisions related to mental health in the workplace are absent in both cases. In addition, poor budgetary allocation—less than one percent of the annual health budget is allocated for mental health, according to the WHO Global Disability Action Plan 2014-2021—and inadequate human resource structure—1.17 mental health workers per 100,000 population, as stated in the 2020 report by WHO—make the mental health situation complicated.

So, taking existing challenges and gaps into account to support mental well-being in the professional environment, concerted efforts from all stakeholders—government and private—are needed with a view to creating a more engaged and fulfilling workplace environment where employees are not only productive but also thriving.

Monirul Islam is a lecturer of social work at Narayanganj Government Mohila College. He can be reached at monirulmamun2018@gmail.com.

Views expressed in this article are the author's own. 

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