LOGROÑO, 9 (EUROPA PRESS)
The Independent Trade Union Center and Civil Servants (CSIF) commemorates World Mental Health Day this Thursday, October 10, under the motto ‘Destroying mental health stigmas in the workplace’.
To this end, we have launched an awareness campaign and denounce the high stigmatization of working people with mental health illnesses and the low investment and resources in mental health in public health services, since there is no provision sufficient economic resources to hire professionals, nor have minimum ratios been established.
Furthermore, “we warn that the waiting list to be evaluated by the psychiatric services is two months on average (although in Andalusia and Castilla-La Mancha it can reach up to 4 and 5 months, respectively, for the first consultation and in Aragon , up to 9 months).
On the other hand, “the period to be received by clinical psychology professionals is about four months, and can reach up to six in Cantabria and Castilla y León and one year in Aragon.”
Spain has an average of 6 psychologists per 100,000 inhabitants, a figure much lower than the European average (18 psychologists per 100,000 inhabitants). For its part, the number of psychiatrists in public health is also limited, which aggravates the problem of insufficient care.
The stigma of mental health at work consists of having to hide mental health problems in the workplace for fear of being fired, discriminated against, harassed or that it could affect their professional career.
“It represents great damage to organizations, since it is an indicator of the work environment. Professionals do not perceive that the company is a safe place where they can openly express that they have a health problem, whether or not it influences their performance,” the union indicates.
In Spain, around 19% of the population suffers from some mental illness throughout their lives. According to data from the Ministry of Health and other sources, it is estimated that one in five people experiences some type of mental disorder, such as depression, anxiety or more serious disorders such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. “HISTORICAL RECORD”
In 2023, Spain reached a “historic record” in sick leave due to psychological problems, registering almost 600,000 temporary disabilities related to mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression. This number increased by 13.6% compared to the previous year and is more than double compared to the figures from seven years ago. These disorders represent approximately 8.2% of the total sick leave in the country.
The main causes of these problems are linked to work stress, job insecurity, work overload and difficulty in balancing work. In Spain, the cost associated with sick leave due to psychological problems is projected to be more than 30 billion euros in 2023, which represents more than two points of the country’s GDP.
Psychological sick leave is rarely recognized as a work accident, psychosocial management continues to have many deficiencies and there is a lack of psychological support for professionals. The mental health costs related to absenteeism exceed those derived from any other type of illness.
In Spain, the suicide figures are alarming year after year; In 2023, according to provisional data from the INE, 3,952 people committed suicide, 2,952 men and 1,000 women. Compared to 2022, there has been a slight decrease of 6.5% but the figures reflect that mental health management in Spain continues to be deficient, since an average of 11 people die per day.
Faced with this health crisis in mental health, CSIF considers “it is urgent to also address in the workplace the challenges for the well-being of employees, mental health at work and suicide prevention.” Thus, the early detection of psychological problems would not only be from primary care and mental health services but also from Occupational Health. In this way, an effective professional support network must be established that provides comprehensive and quality care. We consider that it is also a priority to strengthen public health services, as we have requested from the Minister of Health.
In our CSIF Office there are more and more cases that request psychological support due to their employment situation.
To find out more data on health promotion and workplace well-being, CSIF has launched the survey ‘How do you feel?’ to assess the situation of professionals regarding measures to promote health and work well-being in administrations and companies.
CSIF demands “urgent action” from the Government to manage this mental health crisis and include the following measures among its actions in the workplace:
Provide a larger budget to Public Health Services to increase the portfolio of mental health professionals.
Update of the table of occupational diseases, including ‘burnout syndrome’ and other behavioral disorders, such as post-traumatic stress, in line with the recommendation of the European Commission and the World Labor Organization (ILO) in 2010.
Unlocking the recognition of work-related mental disorders as a work-related accident.
Health promotion plans, work well-being and prevention of suicidal behavior.
Rehabilitation and return to work policies after long-term sick leave.
Psychological support programs for employees.
Awareness campaigns to reduce stigmatization, raise awareness about mental health and promote a compassionate and inclusive culture.
Effective protocols for preventing harassment, discrimination and violence.
Development of ILO Convention 190 on the eradication of violence and harassment in the world of work.
Include the “profession” criterion in the records of completed suicides, both national and regional.