Mental Health and Psychosocial Safety

Mental Health and Psychosocial Safety: Growing Importance in the Workplace

Mental health and psychosocial safety are among the most important areas showing that occupational health and safety is not limited to physical risks alone. Workplace factors such as stress, mobbing, excessive workload, job insecurity, and social isolation directly affect employees’ mental well-being. This article addresses the concepts of mental health and psychosocial safety, discussing risk factors, their effects on employees, international standards, and prevention strategies.

From the Industrial Revolution to the present, the concept of occupational health and safety (OHS) has generally focused on physical hazards. However, today’s changing dynamics of the business world, technological developments, global competition, and digitalization significantly impact employees’ mental health as well. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2022) defines psychosocial risks in the workplace as “factors related to the design, organization, and management of work that may negatively affect mental or physical health.”

The Concept of Mental Health and Psychosocial Safety

• Mental health refers to an individual’s ability to maintain emotional, cognitive, and social functioning.
• Psychosocial safety refers to the identification, control, and prevention of factors in the workplace that may threaten employees’ mental well-being.

This concept is critical not only for individual well-being but also for workforce productivity, employee engagement, and organizational sustainability.

Psychosocial Risk Factors

The most common psychosocial risks in working life are:

• Excessive workload and time pressure
• Mobbing and workplace bullying
• Role ambiguity and conflict
• Job insecurity and low wage policies
• Technostress (technology-related stress)
• Remote work and social isolation
• Insufficient managerial support

These factors not only lead to depression, anxiety disorders, and burnout syndrome but also increase the risk of workplace accidents and production errors (Eurofound, 2021).

Effects on Employees

The effects of psychosocial risks on employees are multidimensional:

• At the individual level: Anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, alcohol/substance use.
• At the organizational level: Low motivation, increased absenteeism, high turnover rates.
• At the societal level: Increased healthcare costs, economic losses, and reduced social welfare.

According to ILO data, psychosocial risks in the workplace cost the global economy over 1 trillion USD annually (ILO, 2020).

International Standards and Approaches

The management of psychosocial risks has also gained importance at the international level.

• ISO 45003 (2021): The first global standard for managing psychosocial risks at work.
• ILO Conventions: Regulations aimed at protecting mental health in the workplace.
• European Union Framework Directive (89/391/EEC): Addresses employees’ health and safety in all dimensions.

Prevention and Intervention Strategies

The following steps are recommended for building an effective culture of psychosocial safety:

• Risk assessment: Regular analysis of psychosocial hazards.
• Participatory management: Involving employees in decision-making processes.
• Support programs: Psychological counseling, stress management, mindfulness training.
• Training and awareness: Regular training programs for managers and employees.
• Balanced workload and flexible working models: Reducing overtime, maintaining a healthy remote work balance.

Mental health and psychosocial safety are integral parts of modern occupational health and safety. Protecting mental well-being in working life is critical not only for employee happiness but also for business productivity and sustainability. In the future, occupational health policies will inevitably place greater focus on preventing psychosocial risks alongside physical hazards.

References

• (2022). Mental health at work. World Health Organization.
• (2021). Working conditions and sustainable work. European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.
• (2020). Mental health in the workplace. International Labour Organization.
• (2021). ISO 45003: Psychological health and safety at work. International Organization for Standardization.

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