Page 27 - Petelin, Ana, ur. 2024. Zdravje delovno aktivnih in starejših odraslih / Health of Working-Age and Older Adults. Zbornik povzetkov z recenzijo ▪︎ Book of Abstracts. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press

Invited lecture

Current trends in protecting and promoting mental health at work

Ditka Vidmar, Tatjana Novak Šubara, Karmen Stariha
National Institute of Public Health, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Introduction and purpose: According to the European Agency for Safety and Health
at Work, 50-60% of all lost working days are due to work-related stress and poorly
managed psychosocial risks. The annual cost of work-related stress and mental health
disorders is estimated at 4% of national GDP. In Slovenia, mental and behavioural
disorders are the fourth most common reason for sickness absence and the leading
reason for category 1 disability retirement. These are all reasons why there is a grow-
ing awareness, both globally and in Slovenia, of the impact of psychosocial working
conditions on the development and worsening of mental health issues. On the other
hand, the importance of preventive care for mental health at work is also coming to
the fore. The latter has important benefits for individuals, work organisations and so-
ciety at large.
Content presentation: Mental well-being in the workplace is a shared commitment and
responsibility between employers and employees, and workplaces are optimal envi-
ronments for promoting mental health. The prevailing focus on individual-oriented
workplace interventions needs to be complemented by organisational interventions
focused on appropriate working conditions, as also highlighted in global initiatives and
international guidelines. In line with the WHO guidelines and a joint strategy docu-
ment with the International Labour Organisation, the key strategies for preventing
poor mental health at work are (1) preventing harm, which includes managing psycho-
social risks in the workplace, (2) enhancing positive aspects of work, employee com-
petencies and resources, and (3) responding to and supporting workers with mental
health issues. In Slovenia, the National Mental Health Programme 2018-2028, in line
with international guidelines, also focuses a significant part of its activities on harm pre-
vention by informing and raising awareness among professionals and the general public
about the importance of and ways to manage psychosocial risks in the workplace. The
key here is a combination of organisational and individual measures, which - if proper- duševno zdravje delovno aktivnih in starejših odraslih | mental health of working-age and older adults
ly selected and implemented - represent a positive return on investment (ROI) of up
to €13.6 for every €1 invested.
Conclusions: The experience of excessive stress at work can be effectively prevented
in work organisations through the early identification of psychosocial risks and the im-
plementation of appropriate measures to manage them. Managers and supervisors
therefore need the appropriate skills to manage these risks and to deal with mental
distress of their employees. All employees need the skills to recognise and act appro-
priately on signs of excessive work stress in themselves and their colleagues, and infor-
mation on professional sources of help for mental health issues.
Keywords: mental health at work, mental health promotion, psychosocial risks, Nation-
al Mental Health Programme

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