Blog post: World Mental Health Day – Is our current approach working hard or hardly working?

Written by Harman Khinda, ESPC volunteer

World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10^th, with this year’s theme focused on “workplace mental health”. Our world’s workforce is 60% of the global population, therefore urgent action is needed to ensure work limits risks to mental health and protects and supports mental health at work.¹ Mental health is a public health and certain strategies at both the macro and micro-levels can create positive impacts through increases in access to services, creating space for open dialogue, and prioritization of preventative measures. Safe, healthy working environments can act as a protective factor for mental health and improve the overall quality of life and participation at work.¹ It will take the collective efforts of leaders across a variety of sectors, in addition to meaningful engagement with workers and a commitment through funding, resources and a cultural shift to enact effective evidence-based approaches and interventions at work to promote a healthier work-life balance.

Advancements in Publicly Funded Services in Canada

The Government of Canada launched the 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline on November 30, 2023. This service uses collaborative and person-centred approaches with a minimally intrusive intake process to prioritize user welfare. The service is available 24 hours-a-day via phone or text and provides bilingual, trauma-informed and culturally appropriate support from trained responders connected to local mental health organizations.⁴ The federal government provided $156 million over three years to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) to implement and operate the 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline. Suicide continues to be a serious public health issue impacting people of all ages and backgrounds. Invariably, an estimated 15% of working-age adults have a mental disorder at any point in time. Depression and anxiety are estimated to cost the global economy US $1 trillion each year driven predominantly by lost productivity. People living with severe mental health conditions are largely excluded from work despite participation in economic activities being important for recovery.⁵

The Importance of Public Health

The global pandemic in recent years further exacerbated on-going issues in the healthcare system including underfunding, limited resources, rampant misinformation, and siloed approaches to healthcare delivery in existing primary care and public health systems. Access to, maintenance of, and continual development of robust primary care and public health efforts are the foundation of a healthy society. The Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) defines public health as the organized effort of society to keep people healthy and prevent injury, illness and premature death. It is a combination of programs, services and policies that protect and promote the health of all Canadians.² The World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines on Mental Health at Work provides evidence-based recommendations to promote mental health, prevent mental health conditions, and enable people living with mental health conditions to participate and thrive in work. The recommendations can generally be organized into two categories – organizational interventions and individual interventions.

Organizational interventions can reshape working conditions and nurture a more friendly work culture. Some examples of this include reasonable accommodations, return-to-work programs and policies in place to prevent discrimination and poor working conditions. These measures can foster stability, job satisfaction and improved mental health. In addition, practices such as regular check-in meetings, frequent breaks, gradually reintroducing workers to tasks, as well as training managers to support mental health, all promote a nurturing workplace. Collaboration among governments, employers, and organizations must work together to create policies that prevent mental health risks, promote well-being, and build supportive workplaces which prioritize mental health and well-being. Individual interventions protect and promote mental health at work through training and can focus on mental health literacy, strengthening skills to recognize mental health conditions at work, and empowering workers to seek support. Stigma and discrimination often prevent people with mental health conditions from seeking help. Reducing workplace discrimination through awareness, training, and engagement with people living with mental health conditions creates healthier, more inclusive work environments​.

Calls to Action

Health is a key factor in building a socially cohesive society and we must commit to strengthening the health of the community. A call to action – visit the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) website for resources and support. If you are thinking about suicide, or worried about someone else thinking about suicide, call or text 988 for suicide prevention support. #WorldMentalHealthDay

In-Text Citation Sources (APA Format)

1. World Health Organization. (n.d.-a). World Mental Health day 2024. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day/2024
2. What is public health? | Canadian Public Health Association. (n.d.). Www.cpha.ca. https://www.cpha.ca/what-public-health
3. World Health Organization. (n.d.-a). Guidelines on mental health at work. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240053052
4. Sayani, F. (2023, December 5). 988 launches in Canada. Mental Health Commission of Canada. https://mentalhealthcommission.ca/catalyst/988-launches-in-canada/
5. World Health Organization. (n.d.-b). Mental health at work: Policy brief. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240057944

Sources

Canada, P. H. A. of. (2023, November 30). Government of canada launches three-Digit Suicide Crisis Helpline. Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/news/2023/11/government-of-canada-launches-three-digit-suicide-crisis-helpline.html

Canadian Mental Health Association – National L A Mental Health Charity. CMHA National. (2024b, October 7). https://cmha.ca/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwpP63BhDYARIsAOQkATZjJMT2OFqK2UFr-NV9LuD_plnaqzsuTc7XXXkdfhYXwtwwbv6i_zoaAkjBEALw_wcB

Sayani, F. (2023, December 5). 988 launches in Canada. Mental Health Commission of Canada. https://mentalhealthcommission.ca/catalyst/988-launches-in-canada/

What is public health? | Canadian Public Health Association. (n.d.). Www.cpha.ca. https://www.cpha.ca/what-public-health

World Health Organization. (n.d.-a). Guidelines on mental health at work. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240053052

World Health Organization. (n.d.-b). Mental health at work: Policy brief. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240057944

World Health Organization. (n.d.-a). World Mental Health day 2024. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day/2024

World Health Organization. (n.d.). World Mental Health Day. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day