Mental health is quickly becoming a crisis. It is having a profoundly negative impact on the Canadian workforce. Stress, depression, and other mental health issues now account for almost half of all disability claims. This speaks to a need to re-focus our view on mental health.
Mental health is simply no longer something that affects a small portion of the population. The changed nature of the workforce has contributed to greater stress, anxiety, and burn-out rates. In a recent article in The Ottawa Citizen, the co-founder of the Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health described depression as an epidemic in the public sector. Bureaucrats, nurses, teachers, police, and the military – indeed the people we rely on most to provide us with essential public services and supports – all suffer from burnout rates and mental health issues such as stress and anxiety. Surely, they, as we all do, deserve better.
It’s time we review our positions on mental health and make them reflective of the characteristics of the modern workforce. 40 years ago, when disability programs were designed, a much larger proportion of the workforce was engaged in physical labour. Thus, the establishment of disability plans and workers compensation was a huge victory. However, it’s time we move on.
The workforce has shifted to become more knowledge-based. Mental “injuries” are now the most common form of work-related injuries and plans that were created 4 decades ago cannot cope. Approximately 85% of the jobs in the economy require brain skills and current disability plans are not reflective of this fact.
We can no longer continue to let the large proportion of the workforce that suffers from mental health issues be ignored. The relevance of workplace wellness programs and the impact they can have on individual workers and the economy is becoming increasingly obvious. Outdated views on mental health cannot be used to inform new policies and programs. Again, the do-nothing approach is not resulting in any worthwhile solutions.
Watch for our upcoming white paper.
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