In a new study from the University of South Australia, researchers found that full-time workers employed by organizations that fail to prioritize their employees’ mental health have a threefold increased risk of being diagnosed with depression.
And while working long hours is a risk factor for dying from heart disease or having a stroke, poor management practices pose a greater risk for depression.
Men are also more likely to become depressed if their workplace pays scant attention to their psychological health.
High levels of burnout and workplace bullying are also linked to corporations’ failure to support workers’ mental health.
Psychosocial safety climate (PSC) is the term used to describe management practices and communication and participation systems that protect workers’ mental health and safety.
The team says that poor workplace mental health can be traced back to poor management practices, priorities and values, which then flows through to high job demands and low resources.
Previous research has found that low PSC was an important predictor of bullying and emotional exhaustion.
The global costs of workplace bullying and worker burnout are significant, manifested in absenteeism, poor work engagement, stress leave and low productivity.
The extent of the problem was recognized in 2019 with the International Labour Organization (ILO) implementing a Global Commission on the Future of Work and calling for “a human-centered approach, putting people and the work they do at the center of economic and social policy and business practice”.
The team says high levels of worker burnout are extremely costly to organizations and it’s clear that top-level organizational change is needed to address the issue.
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The study is published in the British Medical Journal. One author of the study is Dr. Amy Zadow.
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