According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), half of all mental health conditions in individuals start by 14-years-of-age. However, in most cases these go undetected and untreated until much later on in life. The WHO also estimates that one-in-four people worldwide will experience some form of mental health problem during their lifetime. With the available statistics available, an important question arises. This around what effort workplaces are making to create helpful policies to support their employees.
Mental health problems are the result of a complex interplay between biological, psychological, social and environmental factors. There is increasing evidence that the content and context of work can play a role in mental health problems.
RELATED:
Mental health and illness explained
In a press release, recruitment, training and placement company, Afrika Tikkun highlighted that South Africa is already facing a productivity problem with its current workforce. Issues such as poverty, substance abuse and poor mental health contribute to the ability of workers to produce value and grow the economy, said Onyi Nwaneri, CEO of Afrika Tikkun Services.
“Young people are hungry for hope. They are starved for vision and a guiding hand to show them how to prosper. Unfortunately, the efforts made by government and community-based organisations to create productive and safe communities where young people can flourish are just not reaching everyone fast enough. We need the buy-in of all role players to fight this growing social crisis,” said Nwaneri.
An opinion poll conducted by Mental Health America revealed that 71% of the labour force agreed that their workplaces influence their mental health negatively. With that said, people of colour often face even more uneven stress load. This is due to inequality, wage gaps, discrimination and the unspoken challenge of trying to build their careers and their wealth. This all whilst having to think about “black tax”. Black tax is money given to family members each month to support, especially in cases where one is the first or only graduate in their family.
READ MORE:
This Tool Shows How Black Tax Works
In an interview with investment analyst Thabo Phiri, he said: “As a black person in the corporate world, it is sometimes harder to overcome the stigma we (black youth) are conditioned to think other races have of us. That can be so taxing to your mental health.”
The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), said that one in six South Africans suffers from anxiety disorder, ADHD, depression or is drug-dependent. In the case of depression, those affected suffer from great exhaustion, memory loss, procrastination, anxiety and a great impact on productivity as well as interpersonal relationships.
Chartered accountant Lebo Modise added that “I find that sometimes corporate doesn’t not allow any weakness or vulnerability. You have to work yourself to the bone to excel and keep your place in the company. It is such a harsh environment to work in.”
“Most times when I complain about toxic work culture my mother quickly tells me to be grateful, which I get and understand- but I wish room for downtime was open,” said Phiri.
There are millions of despondent youths who believe finding work will be the end of their troubles. Yet it must be emphasised that even in the workplace, young people remain at risk of mental illness as a result of social and economic pressures. This is in addition to the population which is already mentally ill by the time they begin work.
Employers have the moral responsibility to lend more than just lip-service to the plight of silently suffering workers who are being crushed by the pressures of life while producing value for the companies they work for,” said Nwaneri.
“Companies should be actively applying globally recognised strategies to combat poor mental health in the workplace, not just to improve productivity, but to create happier, more ethical work environments,” Nwaneri added.
