Every year, October 10 is observed worldwide to acknowledge the significance of mental health in our life and where we stand in recognizing the needs and providing the required support for a healthy mental health for the society. This yearโs theme for World Mental Health Day is ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฃ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐ก๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐ .
Mental health is often overlooked in comparison to physical health; but it is increasingly seen as an indispensable component of overall well-being of a human. With the advancement of the economic development, most people now work both in home and outside, so the question regarding the impact of mental health in the workplace is becoming more and more relevant. Employed adults worldwide now dedicate more of their waking hours to work than for other activities. While a safe, healthy working environment can act as a protective factor for mental health; unhealthy conditions, including stigma, discrimination, and exposure to psychosocial risks like harassment and other poor working conditions can pose significant psychological risks, affecting the mental health and overall quality of life, consequently the participation or productivity of an individual at the work.
Mental health challenges, such as depression and anxiety, are prevalent in the workplace worldwide. When the symptoms are left untreated, WHO estimates a staggering economic cost of US$1 trillion each year. Safe and healthy working environments are not only a fundamental right but are also more likely to minimize tension and conflicts at work and improve staff retention, work performance, and productivity.
๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ด๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐:
Developed nations such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia have implemented mental health provisions as part of their labor legislation, demonstrating a proactive approach. For example, the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 in the United Kingdom requires employers to consider and mitigate physical and mental health hazards. Similarly, Australia’s Fair Work Act of 2009 incorporates mental health provisions into its anti-harassment and anti-bullying policies. These instances represent a growing shift towards recognizing mental health as essential to labor rights and employer obligations.
Mental health issues in the workplace are becoming more pressing in Bangladesh each year. A thorough study of the country’s labor laws and employers’ obligation to foster a supportive and nurturing environment needs to be drafted and implemented to ensure workersโsafety. According to a 2020 WHO survey, 16.4% of Bangladeshi adults are thought to have mental health difficulties. Workers are concerned due to long working hours, precarious labor laws, low income, and repressive workplace culture; all of which can worsen the mental health situation of the employees.
To fully utilize the capabilities of its labor force, Bangladesh must immediately incorporate mental health strategies into its labor code. This means acknowledging mental health as a vital aspect of employee well-being and economic productivity. Although Bangladesh’s labor laws are comprehensive regarding wage rights, working hours, and physical health and safety; they still do not explicitly address the mental health concerns of the employees. This specific gap underscores a critical area of concern given the growing body of evidence which establishes a connection between mental health and productivity, job satisfaction, and overall economic development.
๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ก’๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ฐ, ๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐๐ซ ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ก๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ-๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก, ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ซ.
๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ญ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ซ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ฎ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฒ๐๐ซ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐๐ฒ ๐ก๐ข๐ฆ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฌ’ ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐๐ก ๐ฒ๐๐๐ซ ๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐. ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฑ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐๐ซ๐ฌ’ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก.
Recommendations:
Employers in Bangladesh may consider the following methods to build a supportive environment for all the workers:
โ Establishing employee assistance programmes
โ Encouraging open dialogues about mental health
โ Working to reduce societal stigma connected with the subject
โ Providing healthy managerial training
โ Stress Management Workshops or Mindfulness and Mental Health Awareness Campaigns.
Such events can help reduce the stigma, encourage open discussion, and provide basic coping strategies for employees on the topic of mental health issues.
Some key resources available for workplace mental health support in Bangladesh:
Although itโs a bit unheard of, there are some EAPs (Employee Assistance Programs) that provide employees with confidential counseling services, stress management resources, and support for work-life balance. EAPs typically cover issues related to mental health, substance abuse, financial concerns, and workplace conflicts.
๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐จ๐ข:
A volunteer-run emotional support helpline in Bangladesh that offers active listening and mental health support over the phone. It can be useful for employees needing confidential conversations about their mental health.
๐๐๐๐:
The worldโs largest NGO, BRAC has a health program that focuses on mental health support, particularly for communities and workplaces. They also provide counseling and psychosocial support for employees of various organizations.
๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ก๐ฎ:
This mental health organization offers professional counseling services, online and in-person, as well as mental health awareness campaigns and workplace training to promote mental well-being.
Bangladesh has a huge scope of learn from nations that have effectively incorporated mental health provisions into their labor structures and this improved the overall productivity quotient of the country. For instance, implementing frameworks such as the Management Standards established by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the United Kingdom could offer a methodical strategy for effectively handling tension in the workplace. Furthermore, scalable solutions for mental health support can be provided through the utilization of technology and telemedicine in the rural or marginalized regions of the country. However, in 2018, the government passed the Mental Health Act, which promotes mental health and mental health patients’ rights. A government mental health policy encourages awareness and education and increases access to mental health care. In Bangladesh, adopting mental health provisions into labor legislation is an economic and legal requirement that goes beyond morality and legality. In its pursuit of worldwide expansion and competitiveness, the well-being of the country’s workforce will emerge as a critical factor influencing its level of prosperity. Bangladesh should introduce key areas for mental health care regulations and create a roadmap for restructuring existing services and developing new ones, with a focus on co-designing services, workforce development, strengthening collaborative care practices, and improving informed decision-making and accountability in service delivery.
By taking these steps to eliminate fundamental barriers to getting mental health care, we can greatly extend mental health outcomes for both our workforce and young people.
This post is written by Mysha Farah, Lead, YPF Healthcare Policy Team and edited by Tashfiya Zaman Mouree, Lead, Healthcare Policy Team.
Infographic designed by Mysha Farah, Lead, YPF Healthcare Policy Team