The purpose of World Mental Health Day, which is observed on October 10 every year, is to increase public awareness of mental health issues and to promote efforts to assist those who are facing mental health challenges. At the World Federation for Mental Health’s initiative, it was first celebrated in 1992.
The theme for this year serves as a helpful reminder of the significance of ‘mental health at work.’ Workplaces that are safe and conducive to health can shield mental well-being. Mental health can be impacted by unhealthy situations, such as discrimination, stigma, and exposure to dangers like harassment.
In addition to the effects on individuals and their families, poor mental health can raise worker turnover, reduce performance, and increase absenteeism. Anxiety and depression alone cause over 12 billion lost workdays annually, which costs the the world economy about $1 trillion USD a year.
Considering that we work for almost a third of our lives, it is easy to undervalue the significance of mental health in the workplace. A major cause of stress, anxiety, and pressure for a lot of us is our jobs. However, as work is where we spend the most of our time, improvements made there can have a big impact on our lives.
One of the pillars of our Regional Roadmap for Results and Resilience is mental and psychosocial health and wellbeing, as recognized and required by our Member States.
Consequently, in accordance with the plan, we recently unveiled SEARO Care, our ground-breaking program to enhance the mental health and wellness of everyone who works at our country and regional offices. We believe SEARO Care can serve as a case study and model for other businesses and organizations in our area if it is piloted and publicly launched.
The two primary goals of SEARO Care are to safeguard and advance each employee’s mental health as well as to enhance the working environment in each of our offices.
Enhancing the physical and mental surroundings in which our coworkers operate is a part of improving the working environment. This involves offering spaces for socializing, comfortable workstations, fitness centers, and more.
Initiatives aimed at enhancing mental well-being will encompass mental health education for managers, mindfulness seminars, questionnaires, and further initiatives. Peer advisory networks, counseling services, referral routes, and other relevant programs are examples of direct interventions to safeguard mental health.
As we are aware, If SEARO If Care is effective, it will foster a welcoming workplace where staff members experience a sense of worth, respect, and care. It will guarantee happier workers overall, a reduction in stress levels, and increased job satisfaction. A positive corporate culture defined by mutual respect, open communication, and trust should be fostered by these adjustments.
We anticipate a decrease in presenteeism and absenteeism as well as assistance in helping the workforce efficiently navigate change and overcome obstacles. That in and of itself ought to encourage cooperation and creativity as well as our joint efforts to achieve the regional objectives.
I am happy to announce that our regional office will take the lead in encouraging people to ‘be the change we want to see’ on this World Mental Health Day.
While encouraging our region’s residents to recognize the significance of mental health, We will implement concrete measures at work to enhance the mental well-being of all members of our WHO SEAR family and the organizational culture.
I hope that our experiences with SEARO Care will serve as a model for businesses, institutions, and groups throughout Southeast Asia to enhance the mental health of all of their employees and associates as well as the psychological surroundings of their workplaces. This shift in culture has the potential to drastically alter our entire region on its own.
I’m happy to see that SEARO is taking the lead on World Mental Health Day by recognizing the significance of mental health at work with tangible initiatives. I implore others to follow suit.
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