Today marks World Mental Health Day with a focus on prioritising mental health in the workplace.
A recent survey by the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) revealed that stress remains the primary mental health concern across various sectors, including media, government, education, health, retail, and finance.
The survey, conducted in August 2024, found that 52% of employees have been medically diagnosed with a mental health condition.
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The most common conditions reported were depression (32%), clinical stress (25%), anxiety (18%), and burnout (13%).
Additionally, 6 out of 10 employees expressed a desire to quit their jobs if they could afford to do so. Despite these figures, only 47% of workers have access to Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs).
South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASP) member Dr. Siki Gwanya-Mdletye, emphasised the link between workplace stress and mental health issues.
“If we think of South African adults and the proportion that is affected by mental illness, it is estimated that 1 in 3 South African adults will most likely experience a mental health disorder within their lifetime, alongside this, let’s consider the amount of time we spend in the workplace, for employed individuals, most of their awake time is spent in the workplace, said Gwanya-Mdletye.
Depression continues to be a global concern, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) ranking it as the leading cause of disability and ill-health worldwide.
A 2016 study by WHO estimated that depression-related absenteeism costs the South African economy R232 billion annually. In addition, South Africa ranked 10th globally for suicide rates in 2023, with 13,774 reported suicides, of which 10,861 were men.
Mental and physical health are closely linked.
Looking after your mental health can help increase feelings of happiness and overall well-being.
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