Mental health is not just a private matter

April 29, 2024 12:36 p.m

Colorful science, research/knowledge transfer

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“Employers in particular can promote mental health in a much more comprehensive and targeted manner,” says Prof. Dr. Silvia Schneider from the German Center for Mental Health (DZPG).
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Berlin, April 29, 2024 – The numbers are high – and they continue to rise: 15 percent of all days of absence in Germany are due to mental illness. This not only causes individual suffering, but also enormous economic damage. Prof. Dr. Silvia Schneider, spokeswoman for the Bochum-Marburg location of the German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), sees a great need in occupational medicine: “Employers in particular can promote mental health in a much more comprehensive and targeted manner.” According to Schneider, in the past In recent years, the sometimes drastic changes in the world of work have also contributed to the increasing numbers of mental illnesses. Among other things, the shortage of skilled workers is driving up absences due to mental problems; But home office regulations can also become a risk factor. Research at the DZPG is already on the trail of the problem.

Labor Day is far from just a “celebration” day. In addition to other factors, there can also be triggers in professional life that make you sick. And both somatically and psychologically. This problem is particularly pressing not only because of the individual suffering of those affected, but also because of the duration of the illness, which, at an average of 36 days, is three times longer than the twelve days for somatic illnesses, as figures from the Federal Ministry of Health show. “Research and medicine have long focused on the factors of resilience and coping among employees, but that falls short: the responsibility for humane work lies with employers. Specialists in occupational medicine can make valuable contributions here; this must be an essential part of occupational medicine,” says Schneider.

Factors that make you mentally ill: pressure, loneliness and a lack of skilled workers

“Of course, work can also be a resource,” says Prof. Dr. Martin Schütte from the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA), a partner institution of the DZPG. He is scientific director of the BAuA department “Work and Health” and researches the topic of analysis of working conditions and their effects on mental health. “Work also has a stabilizing influence on mental health,” says Schütte.

But there can also be dangers for the soul at work. The WHO summarizes these stress factors succinctly: Working environments characterized by discrimination and inequality are just as important as excessive workload, low control and job insecurity. In this context, Silvia Schneider also sees very recent developments as a burden: “Technological progress not only makes work easier, but also increases workload and often more complex tasks. That can create pressure. The same applies to making work more flexible. Home office arrangements can promote loneliness and isolation; “This is a significant risk factor for depression; we are also investigating this at the DZPG.”

Sonja Haase, experience expert and member of the Trialological Center Council of the DZPG, also says: “The combination of digital tools and the resulting consequences such as constant availability on multiple paths and channels can cause stress.”
Prof. Harald Baumeister from the DZPG Mannheim-Heidelberg-Ulm location explains: “With New Work approaches, questions of belonging and loneliness arise as a challenge. One of the DZPG’s many research projects therefore also aims at the sense of belonging in the work context as a possible protective factor.”

A shortage of skilled workers puts workforces under pressure

When it comes to work intensification, the increasing shortage of skilled workers also plays a major role, says Silvia Schneider: “In professional groups such as the health sector or the public service, employees are already exposed to greater psychological stress due to the content of their work. There has been an enormous increase in work in recent years. There is a shortage of workers in clinics, schools and authorities; This increases the risk of mental illnesses such as exhaustion or depression for everyone.”

Mental disorders reason number 2 for sick leave

The latest report from the Techniker Krankenkasse shows how urgent the problem is: By far the most common cause of sick leave in 2023 was diseases of the respiratory system. However, “depressive episodes” already took second place in the table – ahead of back pain.

Employers can do a lot for the mental health of their employees

There are effective measures to prevent mental health risks in the workplace, to protect and promote mental health in the workplace and to support employees with mental illnesses. “Prevention and the promotion of mental health as part of sustainable company health management are of enormous importance. The health of employees contributes significantly to the economic success of companies. While this is already common knowledge when it comes to somatic illnesses, employers need to be further sensitized to mental health,” says Schneider. And Schütte adds: “In addition to primary prevention, i.e. the humane design of working conditions, secondary and tertiary preventive approaches are important, such as achieving a sustainable return to work. Low-threshold offers are helpful here, such as psychosomatic or psychotherapeutic consultations, in order to be able to identify any mental health impairments at an early stage.”

Research has the topic in mind

Martin Schütte emphasizes: “In this context, the German Center for Mental Health offers the opportunity to include the topic of work in the therapeutic process. This could create more comprehensive treatment options. The DZPG can continue to raise awareness of which working conditions have an impact on mental health and are relevant to the therapeutic process. Psychosocial factors such as leadership, social support at work, working hours, development opportunities at work or the amount of work must always be taken into account. The DZPG can therefore provide evidence-based information on mental health for science, practice and politics.”

Mental Health Week is aimed at working life

The relevance of the topic is also demonstrated by the Mental Health Week 2024. It will take place from October 10th to 20th under the patronage of the Federal Minister of Health Prof. Dr. Karl Lauterbach and has the motto “Hand in hand for mental health in the workplace”. Then self-help associations, psychosocial institutions and initiatives of the Mental Health Action Alliance provide information at over 100 locations with a broad program about psychological stress at work, preventive measures and strategies for coping. The event in Berlin will kick off with an event at the Pfefferberg Cultural Center on October 10th. The sponsor of the action alliance is the German Society for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Neurology (DGPPN).

Information about Mental Health Week 2024: https://www.seelischegesundheit.net/aktions/aktionswoche/

 
About the DZPG

Since May 2023, experts at the German Center for Mental Health (DZPG) have been working on improving the mental health of the population and destigmatizing mental illnesses through joint research. At six locations in Germany, researchers and clinicians work together with experts from experience, i.e. those affected and those close to them, as well as international scientists. At www.dzpg.org, anyone interested can find information about the organization, research projects and goals as well as informative texts and helpful links on the topic of mental health.

Sources:
Health Report 2024 – Incapacity for Work, Publisher: Techniker Krankenkasse, Hamburg headquarters, 22291 https://www.tk.de/resource/blob/2168508/ee48ec9ef5943d2d40dc10a76bedf290/gesundheitsreport-au-2024-data.pdf
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-at-work (as of April 26, 2024)
BAuA (2017). Mental health in the world of work – scientific assessment. Dortmund: Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Authors: Isabel Rothe, Lars Adolph, Beate Beermann, Martin Schütte, Armin diaper, Anne Grewer, Uwe Lenhardt, Jörg Michel, Birgit Thomson, Maren Formazin

Additional Information:
https://www.dzpg.org/