Mental Health in the Workplace

According to data from the Department of Health (DOH), in 2020 there were an estimated 3.6 million suffering from a mental health illness. This number is estimated to be higher due to Filipinos not being willing to ask for help as a consequence of social and economic barriers.

The World Health Organization and  International Labour Organization say that an estimated 12 billion work days are lost annually due to anxiety and depression which would cost the global economy a near $1 trillion.

They have also said that almost one billion people globally had mental disorders before the pandemic hit, and this has only aggravated the situation.

The working-age adults are mostly affected, with one in six suffering from a mental disorder says WHO.

WHO has likewise pinpointed that the workplace can echo wider issues that hurt mental health such as discrimination over disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, and gender.

In light of this, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has recently made a training course to tackle anxiety and other mental health concerns in workplaces.

The Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC), which is an attached DOLE agency, is set to hold a training course called “Workplace Mental Health” this year.

“Mental health is a pervasive problem that transcends geographic or socio-economic boundaries. Most of those having mental health issues are workers that affect their lives and productivity,”  states OSCH.

These initiatives are in accordance with the growing concerns about mental health and the implementation of the workplace provisions of the “Mental Health Act” or Republic Act 11036.

Although these are welcome steps to more discussions and better embracing of mental health in the workplace, there is still lots of work to be done.

Sources: Manila Bulletin, Manila Times, Manila Bulletin,