MDS and Mental Health – the necessary fight

In 2017, when the word "pandemic" was still a science fiction story, MDS discovered Encontre+se, an association whose mission is to promote mental health and provide access to best practices in treating the disease, as well as combat stigma and discrimination. From the very first contact, we realized this project would be ours too, and we brought the topic of mental health to the company, organizing internal training sessions, particularly on First Aid for Mental Illness, aimed at raising awareness among company leaders. These initiatives had a significant impact, with several colleagues openly sharing their experiences and expressing "relief" at feeling that their issues were understood by the company.
Many initiatives have been implemented at MDS, including: a hybrid and flexible work regime; a partnership with Team 24 that includes access to psychology consultations for employees and workshops on promotion and well-being; the pursuit of mental health first aid initiatives with ASM; and the existence, within the Group, of a medical advisor, who constantly monitors the situations of employees, regardless of any type of health problem, physical or mental, or both.
In 2023, we were challenged to become founding partners of ASM – the Portuguese Alliance for the Promotion of Mental Health in the Workplace. The mission of the Alliance is to help overcome the silence and stigma surrounding mental illness, increase literacy, and promote the adoption of mental health-promoting work models. In 2025, the MDS signed the "Time to Act – Giving Voice to Mental Health in the Workplace" Commitment Letter, which establishes the objectives to which its signatories commit to advancing their organizations toward creating work environments that promote mental health, well-being, and employee development.
It's true that there's still a long way to go. The numbers are frightening: according to Harvard Medical School, one in two people will develop at least one mental illness by the age of 75. In Portugal alone, according to the OECD, one in two workers experienced a mental illness in 2022, making us the country with the highest risk of occupational burnout. However, we will continue on this path to demonstrating that mental illness is a disease like any other and, as such, must be prevented and treated. And that the workplace is crucial in this fight.

PAULA RIOS
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF FULLCOVER OF THE MDS GROUP