Marina Rodrigues – Special for the Mail
posted on 04/28/2024 06:00
Federal government discusses the importance of mental health incentives in organizations – (credit: Maurenilson)
Annually, an estimated 12 billion workdays are lost due to disorders such as depression and anxiety, costing the global economy almost US$1 trillion. The numbers are from the WHO Guidelines on mental health at work report — prepared by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2022 — and confirm the need to bring the debate to light.
Against this reality, starting this month, Brazilian corporations that adopt criteria to promote the well-being of workers will be able to receive the Mental Health Promoting Company Certificate from the federal government. This is an honor determined by Law 14,831/2024, arising from PL 4,358/2023, approved by the Senate, to strengthen the “combat against discrimination and harassment in all its forms”.
The incentive comes in a critical context, in which Brazil is among the four worst in the ranking The Mental State of the World (Annual Report on the Mental State of the World), which maps the quality of mental health in 71 countries. The document was published in March this year, by the neurotech platform Sapien Labs, and highlights stress and difficulties in taking care of the mind as the main complaints of Brazilians.
Cases
In 2023, around 288,865 disability benefits were granted in Brazil due to mental and behavioral disorders, 38% more than in 2022. The data includes temporary and permanent leaves, according to the Ministry of Social Security, which demonstrates the need for State intervention in defense of workers.
In addition to Social Security costs, supplementary health saw an increase in cases of depression, between 2020 and 2023, going from 11.1% to 13.5% of beneficiaries with health plans. These people represented 50.9 million in the country, last November, according to Research by the Institute of Supplementary Health Studies (IESS) released in January this year.
Recommendations
In this context, the new WHO global guidelines at work suggest that risks to mental health in organizations should be seriously addressed, such as heavy workloads, negative behaviors and other factors that create distress when carrying out duties.
It was also recommended, for the first time, to train managers to better serve employees at risk and avoid creating stressful work environments. The guidelines were endorsed by the International Labor Organization (ILO).
