Mental health in companies

Mental health is one of the hottest topics at the moment, and this is no coincidence! It is estimated that two out of every five Portuguese are affected by a mental health issue. This figure is alarming in itself, but even more so when we compare it to the European average, where we rank 33% higher (Eurobarometer, 2022). 

Mental health and emotional well-being have a huge impact on personal life and, inevitably, on working life. Our attention span, focus, determination, motivation and resilience are extremely affected when we suffer from emotional and psychological problems. According to the WHO, we can only say we are healthy if we experience a full state of physical, mental and social well-being. And only then are we able to explore our abilities, deal with the normal stresses of everyday life, work productively and contribute to the community. 

Companies have a duty to take care of their employees’ mental health, to provide working conditions that avoid psychosocial risks and to pay attention to the prevention and early diagnosis of these types of problems. Promoting mental health and well-being is one of the best investments for organisations to remain sustainable, productive and competitive (Portuguese Health Authority, 2022). 

In 2021, Portugal ranked 1st among EU countries with the highest risk of burnout. Given this data, it is urgent for company leaders to take measures in order to avoid this humanitarian affliction, which has direct consequences for both people and business. It is important to raise awareness and educate management about the impact and return on investment that mental health promotion strategies have on the company’s productivity and sustainability. I will share some figures that may help clarify this issue: Portuguese companies lose around 5.3 billion Euros in productivity due to absence and work presenteeism caused by mental health problems; they lose 8 days of work due to absenteeism and 16 days of work due to work presenteeism. This means that 1.4% of Portuguese companies’ turnover is lost due to productivity losses related to mental health (Report on the Prosperity and Sustainability of Organisations. OPP, 2023). 

As the CEO of TEAM 24, a company dedicated to promoting mental health in organisations, I couldn’t help but share these figures and the positive impact this type of measure has on my team. By implementing measures to promote well-being, mental health and work-life-balance, I have managed to triple productivity rates, achieve an absence rate of 1.4%, a turnover rate of 2.5% and an internal satisfaction rate of 98%. These are indicators that show that taking care of people’s well-being, promoting work-life balance and fostering a healthy working environment are essential strategies for making a business grow.

It’s worth investing in people because they are the ones who make the business grow!