March 19, 2010 – Mental health problems in the workplace must be given as much importance as physical health problems and better prevention strategies must be established.
This is what Gilles Dupuis, psychologist and scientific director of the Center de liaison on intervention and psychosocial prevention (CLIPP), said during a recent public debate entitled “Mental health at work, are we deaf? “. The event was organized by CLIPP in partnership with UQAM and the Coeur des sciences.
“The direct and indirect costs of psychological disorders at work are enormous, not only for employers, but also for employees and society,” he said. He believes that it is now necessary to devote more energy to the prevention and detection of psychosocial risks at work.
According to him, the trend for intervention is still at the stage of repair, of compensation. “When we have to compensate a person, it is because he is really ill,” says the psychologist.
Better to prevent …
“The majority of psychosocial risks at work are related to the organization of work, interactions between colleagues and management, workload, work-life balance and clarity of roles and responsibilities. tasks. If we want to improve the work climate, the mobilization of employees and managers is required. No one has to gain by stepping in, ”says Gilles Dupuis.
He recalls that management practices that promote autonomy, support, recognition, collaboration, assessment of the workload and pace of work make it possible to offer a better quality of life at work for both managers and employees. the employees.
Preventing mental health problems also begins with a caring attitude towards co-workers and supervisors. “We must never forget the human being behind the role of employee and manager. It is important for people to mobilize and be aware of their actions and attitudes among themselves in order to be able to make changes, ”said Gilles Dupuis.
In this way, he believes that one can be more attentive to the warning signs of psychological distress in a colleague or a manager. For example, if a colleague becomes irritable over nothing or if he isolates himself from others, we can ask him what is wrong. More solidarity and support in social relations at work helps create a better work climate, he argues.
Carole Boulé – PasseportSanté.net
