Mental health in the workplace south africa pdf

Mental health related illnesses in the workplace are common and may result in absenteeism and lost productivity. Mental illness is often sidelined in south africa due to an inadequate workforce however cost effective interventions and enhanced health. South africa is no different as the local workplace is increasingly affected by depression. The status of mental health care in ghana, west africa and signs of progress in the greater accra region. We depend on written communication for information, guidance, and access to heath care information that is why sadag created speaking books and revolutionized the way information is delivered to low literacy communities. Depression and the impact on productivity in the workplace. Yet there is scarce research investigating the experiences of psychiatric stigma on mental health service users in low and middleincome countries lmics. Amended by legal aid south africa act 39 of 2014 from 1 mar 2015. Service guidance package mental health policies and. Message of the who regional director for africa, dr matshidiso moeti, on world mental health day, 10 october 2017. Mandim believes that an integrated programme which also highlights mental health is key. The role of government 27 vulnerable populations 27 policy and legislation 29 government partners 32 3. It is an important time for the development of a mental health policy framework in south africa.

Mental health care act 17 of 2002 south african government. Literacy is a luxury that many of us take for granted. According to the south africa depression and anxiety group sadag, south africa presents some alarming statistics with regard to mental health. Task shifting, through the delegation of health care tasks to less specialised health workers such as community health workers chws, is a promising approach to address the human resource shortage. This issue brief is available for download pdf icon pdf 2 mb. Amended by mental health care amendment act 12 of 2014 from 1 jul 2016. In 2017, financial mail reported that mental health problems cost the south african economy billions per year. This policy took the form of a document titled national health policy guidelines for improved mental health in south africa, which was approved by a meeting of the national minister of health and provincial ministers of health department of health, 1997a. An employer therefore cannot demote or transfer a person or reduce a salary because of a mental health condition. Mental health a serious issue in south africa, independent online, 21 july 2017 online. Pdf depression is a common psychiatric disorder and can be costly, having a significant impact on the individual and employers. Both the united nations and the international labour organisation have highlighted this mental disorder as one of the primary health problems in the international workplace. Objectives were to explore the extent of workplace violence, contributing factors, and to suggest prevention strategies to address the issues.

As mental illness is still largely feared and misunderstood, it seems easier to adopt the blatantly incorrect behaviour of ignoring it in the hope it will go away. This policy took the form of a document titled national health policy guidelines for improved mental health in south africa, which was approved by a meeting of the national minister of health and provincial ministers of health department of. Only 27% of south africans reporting severe mental illness ever receive treatment. Abstractthe authors examined the relationship between cumulative adversities, exposure to violence and mental health of employees in workplace settings in gauteng province, south africa. Pdf the aim of this study was to investigate the role that legislation and. The social and cultural aspects of mental health in african societies. To assess the levels of perceived acute and chronic racial and nonracial discrimination in south africa, their association with health, and the extent to which they contribute to racial differences in physical and mental health, data were used from a national probability sample of adults, the south african stress and health study sash.

The south african federation for mental health is the largest national mental health organisation in south africa. The south african mental health care act was promulgated in 2004. South africas mental health policy was last revised in 1997. Depression in the south african workplace african journals online. Amended by judical matters amendment act 55 of 2002 from 18 feb 2005. Many factors including violence, communicable disease, and urbanisation have increased the prevalence of mental disorders in the country. Perceived discrimination, race and health in south africa. Mental health issues have reached epidemic proportions in. In addition to a lack of resources, stigmas surrounding mental health pose a major stumbling block when it comes to treating the disease in south africa, explains chambers. Workplace violence in the public health sector in south africa. Materials and methods data source participants were recruited for the idea survey through an online market research panel between 11 june 2014 and 18 june 2014 in south africa. Sa federation for mental health mental wellness is our.

Invite remaining employees to provide feedback on the layoff process, respond to the employees feedback with detail about how the feedback will be used. Clinics, support groups, even lay counsellors and community leaders are having to step in where institutionalised help is not available. This unique and timely seminar will serve as an important platform for the exchange of new ideas, best practice examples and insights on identifying and managing a range of mental health issues in the workplace. Mental health and productivity in south africa source. Here at kr, well be hosting a mental health in the workplace seminar on 18 of february in durban and on 5 march in cape town. The study indicates that the economic burden of depression is high, that stigma impacts negatively on employees healthseeking behaviour and that managers do not feel wellequipped to manage. Another group, the africa focus on intervention research for mental health affirm, is working in ethiopia, ghana, malawi, south africa, uganda, and zimbabwe. In some countries of africa kenya, nigeria, there exist socalled psychiatric vil. There is a need among employers to recognize mental health issues as a legitimate workplace concern. Depression is a growing worldwide health concern in the workplace. Emergency contact numbers for students in south africa click here. The aim of this study was to investigate the role that legislation and management standards might play in ensuring occupational health and wellness in south africa.

Its activities include capacity building and conducting randomized controlled trials of lowcost, tasksharing interventions for severe mental disorders. There is a shortage of trained mental health workers in spite of the significant contribution of psychiatric disorders to the global disease burden. Stigma and discrimination against people with mental illness remain barriers to help seeking and full recovery for people in need of mental health services. The bulk of mental health care delivery in south africa has historically been separated from general health care, relying heavily on psychiatric hospitals with little attention to mental health. Statistics from a global study presented at a recent mental health summit in johannesburg revealed that mental disorders have increased by 22. In zulu, there is not even a word for depression its basically not deemed a real illness in the african culture. South africa struggles to manage mental illness health24. Mental health a workplace issue business essentials. The social and cultural aspects of mental health in. Mental health problems in the workplace 14 impact of mental health problems 19 risk and protective factors for mental health problems 22 2.

The month of focus therefore presents an opportunity to increase advocacy and awareness of mental health programs especially in the workplace. The way in which these mental disorders are treated has changed over the years. Before joining the panel, participants went through a screening. Pdf depression in the south african workplace researchgate. Recognising that health is a state of physical, mental and social wellbeing and that.

Barriers to accessing and receiving mental health care in. Mental health and the labour law in sa knowledge resources. Employers, employees and colleagues usually feel its presence, are aware of the. The challenges of human resources in mental health in kenya. Depression in the south african workplace article pdf available in south african journal of psychiatry 221. Speakers at the commemoration event urged workplace communities to talk about depression and other mental health problems like substance abuse in order to promote best practice. The mental health information centre of southern africa strives to assist the south african public and professionals with uptodate mental health information as well as an accessible easytouse database of mental health professionals. Overall, the south african results paint a picture of fragmented employee support structures and policies related to mental health, specifically depression. Employment insecurity, economic insecurity, layoffs and. Putting in place a workplace mental health policy 33 4.

Mental illness is very prevalent in south africa, yet the country lacks many of the necessary resources and policies needed to execute an effective mental health strategy. Here at kr, well be hosting a mental health in the workplace. Common mental disorders among those attending primary health clinics and traditional healers in urban tanzania. The law in south africa states that an employee with a mental health condition has a constitutional right to equality, human dignity, reasonable accommodation and fair labour practice. Mental health in the workplace, health management solutions, alexander forbes online. The mental health information centre of south africa. Incapacity, brought on by either poor work attendance or poor performance due to alleged ill health, can be defined as the failure or inability of a worker to carry out a job according to expected standards. The shocking state of mental health in south africa in 2019.

Mental health disorders are among the most burdensome health concerns in the united states. Depression in the workplace is on the rise and employers are battling to manage this costly illness. Mental health is increasingly acknowledged as an important public health issue in south africa. In south africa, the challenge extends to the mental impact of socioeconomic legacy issues such as gender, race and social inequalities. South african institute of race relations, unemployment and poverty, 28 no.

Research was conducted in south africa to learn about the level of occupational workplace violence among public and private health workers in south africa. Employment insecurity, economic insecurity, layoffs and mental health in the workplace. Psychiatric stigma and discrimination in south africa. South africas national mental health policy framework and strategic plan 202020 emphasizes in point 7. Cumulative adversities and mental health of employees in. Independent online5 1, 2, 3 world federation for mental health wfmh.

The primary burden of mental healthcare falls on communitybased providers, says chambers. The aim of this study was therefore to explore the experiences of. The cost of mental illness in the workplace cnbc africa. The south african depression and anxiety group sadag in partnership with hexor, with the support of lundbeck, undertook research into. Learnertoteacher bullying as a potential factor influencing teachers mental health marit helen woudstra, estie janse van rensburg and maretha visser department of psychology, faculty of humanities, university of pretoria, pretoria, south africa maretha. South africas mental health workforce is woefully inadequate. Five hundred participants were randomly selected from three hospitals. South africa s mental health policy was last revised in 1997. Noncommunicable diseases and mental health cluster. Read more a statistical snapshot underreporting is often a function of both the stigma attached to mental health issues and the fact that theres little understanding in the. The customizable 16page book, accompanied by local celebrity audio recordings, ensures that vital health and social messages can be seen, heard, read and understood we started with books on teen suicide prevention, hiv, aids and depression, understanding mental health and have developed over 30 titles, such as tb, malaria, polio, vaccines. Mental health in the workplace centers for disease. Employment terminations due to ill health incapacity is few and far between something south african organisations or human resources workforce do not deal with on a regular basis.

Aside from the human cost of mental illness, there is a compelling economic argument for improving mental wellness in the workplace. With the high rate of unemployment in the south african context, it is known. Mental health is defined as a state of wellbeing in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life. World mental health day 2017 was commemorated in kenya with a call for changes at workplace to reduce risk factors for stress and policies that ensure work environment promotes wellbeing and productivity. Mental health related illnesses in the workplace are common and may result in. Social work in mental health 29 chapter 2 social work in mental health. South africa by the south african based health and economic research organisation, hexor. Despite these positive trends, we see a number of challenges for employers in successfully implementing workplace mental health and wellbeing programmes. Depression in the workplace costs sa r232bn in lost. Director, national partnership for workplace mental. Recognising that the constitution of the republic of south africa, 1996 act 108 of 1996, prohibits against unfair discrimination of people with mental or other disabilities. When it comes to employee management and mental health in the workplace, managers often prefer the proverbial headinthesand approach. Neuropsychiatric conditions rank third in their contribution to the burden of disease in this country, after hivaids and other infectious diseases bradshaw et al. The south african government gives occupational health and safety high priority, and advocacy.