World Mental Health Day is the day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognises World Mental Health Day on 10th October every year. The day provides an opportunity “for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide“. This year’s theme set by the World Federation for Mental Health is MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE.
Stress-related mental health issues are rising at an unprecedented pace. WHO predicts that by 2020, stress-related mental health issues will be second only to heart disease in the causes of disabilities worldwide. As workplace stress is a key contributor to these rising levels, it is vital that companies and organisations address workplace stress in a way that supports, educates and empowers employees to care for their own mental health, and to feel able to reach out when there is a problem.
WHO reports that mental health problems can directly as well as indirectly affect the functioning of the organisations. It contributes to increased absenteeism, decreased productivity, increased cost and indirect cost. Both the content and the context of the work play a role in developing mental health problems. Mental health problems in workplace will adversely affect the national economy (WHO, 2005)
http://www.who.int/mental_health/world-mental-health-day/en/