© Copyright Acquisition International 2025 - All Rights Reserved.

Article Image - New Approach Needed to Tackle Mental Ill-Health at Work, Says OECD
Posted 5th March 2015

New Approach Needed to Tackle Mental Ill-Health at Work, Says OECD

Health and employment services should intervene earlier, involve key stakeholders and ensure they work together in order to help people with mental-health issues find work and stay in a job.

Mouse Scroll AnimationScroll to keep reading

Let us help promote your business to a wider following.

New Approach Needed to Tackle Mental Ill-Health at Work, Says OECD
Image

Health and employment services should intervene earlier, involve key stakeholders and ensure they work together in order to help people with mental-health issues find work and stay in a job, according to a new OECD report.

Fit Mind, Fit Job: From Evidence to Practice in Mental Health and Work says that around 30% to 40% of all sickness and disability caseloads in OECD countries are related to mental-health problems. The total cost of mental illness is estimated at around 3.5% of GDP in Europe.

The personal costs of mental ill-health are high. People with mild to moderate disorders, such as anxiety or depression, are twice as likely to become unemployed. They also run a much higher risk of living in poverty and social marginalisation.

“Mental health issues exact a high price on individuals, their families, employers and the economy,” said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría during a launch event in The Hague. “Policymakers have been too slow to act. Strong political leadership is needed to drive reform and tackle this issue.” (Read full speech here)

Despite growing recognition of the issue in society, considerable social stigma around mental ill health remains. Intervening early is critical, yet in practice it can often take more than ten years between the onset of illness and the first treatment in most countries.

This is worrying, says the OECD, as under‑treatment rates are highest among young people and waiting times for counselling are longest. Any action taken in school or the workplace will have a better, more lasting impact than waiting until people have dropped out of education or the labour market. While a heavy workload and work related stress may add to mental health problems, the evidence shows that staying in school or at work is also part of the solution if appropriate support is provided.

At school, investing in mental health programmes and having professionals with psychological training is found to be effective. Waiting times in the health service for children and adolescents should be as short as possible.

The mismatch between the needs of people suffering from mental ill-health and the services provided to them is one of the biggest problems, according to the report. Current policies are often delivered in silos by health, employment and education services. Creating an integrated system would deliver much better, faster outcomes.

Countries have taken small steps towards an integrated delivery of health and employment services, but they have lacked direction. Better measurement and monitoring of policies and outcomes would enable policy makers to assess their impact more effectively.

Teachers, employers, general practitioners, social workers and employment service caseworkers are often best placed to identify people with mental health issues at an early stage. They need training and a clear pathway to access support from mental health professionals.

Stronger leadership at political and managerial level is needed: in most countries, guidelines and regulations exist but have little impact. Their use should be systematically monitored and non-compliance sanctioned.

Categories: Strategy


You Might Also Like
Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
AI in Action_ Pioneering Business Changes in 2023
News
15/09/2023AI in Action_ Pioneering Business Changes in 2023

The outset of 2023 heralds a renewed phase in business metamorphosis, one steered by Artificial Intelligence. The contemporary era bears testimony to AI’s escalating significance, molding enterprises in unprecedented manners. Principal Insights In the en

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
4 Essential Components of Power Plant Maintenance
Innovation
25/11/20214 Essential Components of Power Plant Maintenance

Power plant maintenance aims at supporting a smooth workflow in a power plant. It involves procedures such as routine inspection, equipment adjustment, repair or replacement, and general systems integration and monitoring.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
3 Tips When Remortgaging Your Home
Finance
02/12/20213 Tips When Remortgaging Your Home

To remortgage means that you essentially replace your existing home loan with a new one, with potentially better terms. The most popular reasons for refinancing are reducing monthly repayments, securing a lower interest rate, consolidating loans, or changing t

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
The Benefits of QR Codes for Business Marketing and More
Innovation
05/10/2023The Benefits of QR Codes for Business Marketing and More

Business founders and owners easily find themselves drifting when thinking of new offerings or solutions to help them boost the visibility of their companies. Quick response codes are among the latest solutions and offerings that business owners and founders a

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
A Beginner-Friendly Day Trading Setup Checklist For Risk-Free Trading
News
20/11/2023A Beginner-Friendly Day Trading Setup Checklist For Risk-Free Trading

For most investors, day trading can look like an extremely promising option, and it can even be highly rewarding for those with a well-planned strategy. However, if you have just entered the market, there are a few common mistakes you might be prone to committ

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
World Wellbeing Week: Women in the workplace
Finance
25/06/2019World Wellbeing Week: Women in the workplace

There are still some fairly basic issues with gender equality at work. Women make up 47% of the UK workforce. At the highest levels, analysis from Cranfield University, as part of its 20th FTSE Women on Boards Report, shows a sharp drop in the number of women

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
What Do You Need to Know Before Starting a Business?
News
27/06/2023What Do You Need to Know Before Starting a Business?

The above question might be better phrased as "What don't you need to know to start a business?" There's an enormous amount to learn, and you have probably already taken in a lot of it, such as how to write a business plan, seek funding, or do marketing resear

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
5 Incredibly Smart Ways to Improve Your Business Cash Flow
Finance
20/08/20215 Incredibly Smart Ways to Improve Your Business Cash Flow

Cash flow is key for any business. With ongoing costs and outstanding invoices, it can be tricky for companies both big and small to stay on top of their finances. With around 5 million SMEs in the UK, it is said that around 38% struggle with cash flow and are

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
The Impact of Courier Services on E-commerce Businesses
News
03/07/2023The Impact of Courier Services on E-commerce Businesses

In this digital era we’re all living in, e-commerce has truly shaken up the way businesses function, offering ease and accessibility to folks all around the globe. The success of any e-commerce venture largely depends on a trusty and proficient courier s



Our Trusted Brands

Acquisition International is a flagship brand of AI Global Media. AI Global Media is a B2B enterprise and are committed to creating engaging content allowing businesses to market their services to a larger global audience. We have 14 unique brands, each of which serves a specific industry or region. Each brand covers the latest news in its sector and publishes a digital magazine and newsletter which is read by a global audience.

Arrow