New WHO Guidelines on Mental Health at Work
RESPOND member José Luis Ayuso Mateos, from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) team, has been an active member of the WHO guideline development group to address mental health at work.
The WHO has published two guidelines addressing this issue for the first time: the World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines on Mental Health at Work and a derivative WHO/International Labour Organization (ILO) Policy Brief.
The WHO and the ILO have called for concrete actions to address mental health concerns in the working population. Moreover, the new global WHO guidelines on mental health at work are reinforced by practical strategies outlined in a joint WHO/ILO Policy Brief.
The WHO Guidelines on Mental Health at Work and the WHO/ILO Policy Brief were published on 28 September 2022.
WHO’s first-ever global guidelines on mental health at work provide evidence-based recommendations to improve mental health by supporting those who live with or without a mental health condition to participate and thrive at work.
With an estimated 60% of the world in work, these guidelines provide much-needed recommendations for employers, workers and stakeholders responsible for working people’s health, safety and well-being. Specific recommendations are also included for health, humanitarian and emergency workers.
The accompanying Policy Brief from the WHO and ILO brings the guideline recommendations to life and calls on stakeholders in the world of work to take practical action to support mental health at work.
Together, the ambition is to change how mental health is viewed in the work setting, reduce the stigma associated with mental health conditions, and prevent, protect, promote, and support effective action for mental health at work.