By Dr R P Prashar
Mental health in the workplace is often overlooked, yet it profoundly impacts employees’ well-being and organizational productivity. This year, the theme for World Mental Health Day is “Prioritising Mental Health at the Workplace.”
It highlights the need for greater awareness and support. Neglecting mental health can lead to various challenges, including decreased work efficiency, increased stress, and physical health problems, underscoring the importance of creating a supportive work environment.
Mental health in the workplace is an aspect that is often not taken seriously. However, it is essential to understand that mental health affects not only personal life but also a person’s work efficiency and the productivity of the organisation.
The Connection Between Mental Health and Work Efficiency
Mental health is directly related to employees’ ability to work, their attitude toward work and their relationships with colleagues. Mentally healthy employees are more creative, energetic, and motivated. They are better able to fulfill their responsibilities and solve complex problems.
In contrast, employees struggling with mental stress, depression, anxiety, and other issues may lose interest in productivity. They may make more mistakes at work, feel fatigued more quickly and see a decline in their creativity and effectiveness. Additionally, mental stress can also impact their physical health.
According to an article titled “Mental Health and Well-Being at the Workplace” published in the January 2024 issue of the Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 29% of white-collar workers in urban offices show symptoms of depression, 55% experience anxiety, and 78% show signs of stress. A survey conducted by Deloitte, mentioned in the same article, found that 88% of respondents were struggling with some mental health issue.
The survey indicated that 59% of employees experienced depression, 55% were emotionally disturbed, 51% faced irritability and anger, 50% had sleep-related problems, and 49% suffered from anxiety. It was noted that individuals working in the medical field are the most stressed.
Among para-paramilitary forces, 28.8% of CISF personnel and 28.6% to 48.2% of police officers were found to be struggling with various mental health issues.
Workplace Challenges
Heavy workloads, pressure from deadlines and high performance expectations can lead to mental stress among employees. When employees cannot balance their personal and professional lives, their mental health can be severely affected.
Conflicts, workplace politics, and an non-cooperative atmosphere among colleagues can also contribute to mental stress. Furthermore, when employees do not receive recognition or appreciation for their work, they may feel demotivated, negatively impacting their mental health.
The neglect of mental health at the workplace leads employees to struggle not only with anxiety, depression, and stress, but also to develop physical issues such as hypertension, diabetes, insomnia, reduced appetite and hyperacidity.
Benefits of Prioritising Mental Health
Prioritising mental health at the workplace will not only ensure employee well-being but also provide long-term benefits to organizations and management. Mentally healthy employees are better able to focus on their work, leading to improved productivity. Reducing mental stress can decrease the chances of illness and absenteeism among employees.
Focusing on mental health can foster a positive work culture, resulting in a healthy and collaborative environment, as well as improved cooperation and communication among employees.
Conclusion
The importance of mental health in today’s competitive and fast-paced work environment is indispensable. Mentally healthy employees not only fulfill their personal responsibilities in a better way, they also contribute to the overall growth of the organization.
Therefore, organisations should remain aware of mental health of the employees and ensure a healthy & balanced work environment for them. The government should mandate mental health assessments for all employees at regular intervals of three or four months, with the cost borne by the organization and management.
Organisations and managements should also conduct yoga, meditation, counseling, and psychotherapy sessions on a fortnightly or monthly basis for the benefit of employees.
(The author is CMO, Ayurveda, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD))
