As of: February 15, 2024, 12:00 p.m
By: Marco Blanco Ucles
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Many people struggle with mental health problems at work.
Why this is the case – and what can be done about it.
Do you also feel mentally tired because of your job or are you even struggling with serious psychological problems as a result?
Don't worry, you are far from alone.
It is shocking news that the
Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
– BAuA for short – recently announced.
The institute estimates that around a third of cases in which employees suffer from depressive symptoms are caused by their job.
The world
first reported this
.
However, that does not mean that those affected are not successful in their jobs.
International analysis reveals disturbing findings on depression in the workplace
In order to research the causes, it is worth looking back at the end of 2023. At that time, the results of a extensive analysis presented.
This appeared in the journal
The Lancet
.
It was found that certain professional situations are associated with an increased risk of developing depression.
Many employees struggle with mental health problems.
© Panthermedia/IMAGO
Dozens of studies involving hundreds of thousands of employees have concluded that workplace bullying has the greatest impact on depression.
The other main reasons for mental problems at work: job insecurity, great emotional stress, lack of justice, too little recognition and lack of support.
“Job strain” also falls into this category.
Employees have to meet high standards, but at the same time have little control or freedom of action.
Depression at work: Feeling useless can be dangerous
Dieter Zapf is an industrial psychologist at the Goethe University Frankfurt/Main.
He sees another big problem.
Namely when professional stress undermines self-esteem.
For example, if an activity seems pointless.
“If I have to write an interim report for two weeks even though it is clear that no one will read it, I feel like the last loser.
“That has a much more negative effect on my psyche than pure time pressure,” Zapf explains to Die
Welt
.
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According to Zapf, it also becomes uncomfortable when employees are overwhelmed by the number of tasks they have to do and are therefore no longer able to meet the emotional demands of the job.
The industrial psychologist cites employees in education or nursing as an example.
Extreme time pressure and overload for employees are particularly common there.
In general, industries in which people work with other people are particularly at risk.
If you speed up the work there, the quality suffers.
It is no coincidence that, according to the “Absence Report” from 2022, people from the health and social services, banks, public administration, social insurance and education sectors in particular were absent due to mental illnesses.
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Depression in the workplace: Expert takes employers to task
After researching the causes, all that remains is to point out possible solutions.
Hermann Burr, active in the BAuA group “Mental Stress and Mental Health”, holds employers accountable.
According to him, employees should have greater influence over their workload and work pace.
In addition, in Burr's eyes, employers need to keep a closer eye on their employees: "Recognizing an employee not only means appreciating their successes - but also recognizing when they are under a lot of stress."
I have often experienced that superiors only wanted better job conditions so that the workforce would work more.
They look after their employees' health with dollar signs in their eyes - that doesn't work!
Dieter Zapf, industrial psychologist at the Goethe University Frankfurt/Main
Dieter Zapf notes to Die
Welt
that companies do help employees - for example with health prevention from pension insurance - but rarely in the mental area: "There is always a clear solution for ergonomic risks, right down to the fireproof base for the coffee machine .
This is not the case with psychological phenomena.” He would like to establish a system – “Psychosocial Safety Climate” – that shows how much managers really care about the well-being of their employees.
Because Zapf emphasizes: “I have often experienced that superiors only wanted better job conditions so that the workforce would work more.
They look after their employees’ health with dollar signs in their eyes – that doesn’t work!”