Companies that do not prioritize the mental health of their employees lead to an increase in the rate of depression among their staff by up to 300%, a team of researchers from the University of South Australia has concluded in a study that lasted for one year in Australia and in which they analyzed the psychosocial safety climate (PSC) of the work environment, that is, the policies, practices and procedures aimed at protecting the health and mental safety of employees.
The researchers found that workplaces that fail to recognize employees’ hard work and place unreasonable demands on them put workers at higher risk of developing depression . While working long hours is a risk factor for dying from cardiovascular disease or stroke, poor mental health practices at work pose an increased risk of depression, the researchers conclude.
Bad management practices and lack of communication
Taking into account that our workplace is like our second home , due to the amount of hours we spend in it, it is logical to think that the conditions of this environment can have a significant influence on our physical and mental well-being. The study focused on precisely quantifying the effect that a toxic work environment can have on our mood.
While working long hours is a risk factor for dying from cardiovascular disease or stroke, poor mental health practices at work pose an increased risk of depression, the researchers conclude.
Workplace Harassment
Workplace harassment also has an important link with corporations that do not support the mental well-being of workers. The study found that enthusiastic and committed workers often feel valued by their bosses and that men are also more likely to become depressed than women if their workplace pays little attention to their psychological health.
“Evidence shows that companies that do not reward or recognize their employees for hard work, place unreasonable demands on workers, and do not give them autonomy, are putting their staff at a much higher risk of depression,” says Amy Zadow, leader of the work that publishes the magazine BMJ Open.
Workplace bullying is bad for everyone, even the bully.
Surprisingly, the researchers also found that bullying affects not only the psychological well-being of the victim, but also the perpetrator of the bullying and the witnesses.
“In this study we investigated bullying in a group context and why it occurs. Sometimes stress is a trigger for bullying and, in the worst case, it can establish an ‘acceptable’ level of behavior for other team members. But above all, bullying can be predicted from a company’s commitment to mental health, so it can be prevented, “the authors conclude.
Referencia: “Predicting new major depression symptoms from long working hours, psychosocial safety climate and work engagement: a population-based cohort study” by Amy Jane Zadow, Maureen F Dollard, Christian Dormann and Paul Landsbergis, 23 June 2021, BMJ Open.
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044133
