WHO guidelines on mental health at work published

WHO guidelines on mental health at work published

Posted: Wed, 28 Sep 2022 09:26

WHO guidelines on mental health at work published

A World Health Organization guideline on mental health at work has been published, together with an ILO policy brief which supports its implementation. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240053052

The guideline is the result of a major research project, in which Affinity Health at Work was a research partner, and provides a framework for what governments, employers, employers' and workers' organisations, and other stakeholders can do to improve mental health at work.

The new guideline 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.

It addresses different demographic groups, including people who work regardless of their mental health status; emergency workers, humanitarian workers and health workers; workers with symptoms of mental health conditions; workers on leave of absence due to mental health; and people living with mental health conditions who want to gain paid work.

The ILO policy brief suggests a set of ways in which governments and employers can ensure that the guideline is translated into tangible actions, summarised under the areas of leadership, investment, rights, integration, participation, evidence and compliance.

Affinity contributed to this project by conducting a review of the qualitative research of the evidence for implementation issues for workplace mental health interventions. Our findings offer insights into why some interventions fail to be effective. Providing training in work time, making clear the benefits of the training, considering carefully the group composition and facilitator as well as offering bespoke and tailored training that speaks to the delegates tasks, role and workplace are all key to realising impact.

The guideline also highlights areas of work wellbeing where there is still a lack of evidence, including for certain work populations. Through our Research Consortium, Affinity is committed to strengthening the evidence base for work wellbeing, so that everyone in the workplace can benefit from better mental health at work.

Access the WHO Guideline and ILO policy brief here: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-at-work

Tags: Intervention, Leader, Mental Health