MONTREAL (PasseportSanté.net) June 2, 2005 – Prevention of mental illness is now a major social issue in which employers and workers must take part. As proof, 50% of workers in the world suffer from a more or less acute form of professional burnout, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In Quebec, 30% to 60% of work absences are linked to a mental health problem.
This is part of the portrait drawn by researchers during a workshop on health in the workplace, which this week brought together nearly 300 speakers, as part of the International Economic Forum of the Americas, in Montreal.
In industrialized countries, mental health issues are the number one disability cost for businesses – whether it’s depression, burnout or stress. “In 1991, mental health problems represented 15% of claims made to insurers; in 2001, this proportion reached 40%, ”illustrates Sonia J. Lupien, assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University in Montreal.
This is not to mention the productivity losses resulting from an emerging phenomenon: presenteeism – that is to say when an employee is physically present at work, without being fully minded. Presenteeism is up to four times more expensive than absenteeism, according to some studies1.
A problem to recognize and prevent
According to Dr Catherine Le Galès-Camus, who leads the mental health file at the WHO, the first challenge is to get employers to recognize the existence of the problem. “We must stop believing that it is a luxury to talk about stress at work and stop asking single workers to take care of their mental health in their free time,” she said.
Ms. Le-Galès-Camus goes even further: “In the end, the countries which will have the best productivity will be those which will have a skilled workforce, but also and above all a healthy workforce”.
Martin LaSalle – PasseportSanté.net
1. Francoeur F, A criminal behind the scenes: presenteeism, RHRI Portal, Order of Human Resources and Human Resources Consultants of Quebec, November 20, 2004. To access the text: www.portail-rhri.com [site consulté le 2 juin 2005].
