New research has shown that mental health disorders are the most common work-related ill health problem across the UK and Ireland, making up more than half the cases reported by occupational physicians.
The project, led by a team from Manchester University, studied data from 2005 to 2012 and was the first study to investigate the incidence of work-related ill health across Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Musculoskeletal disorders, such as back and limb pain, were the second most frequently reported problem across all three countries. The study also found that asbestos occupational respiratory disease was more common in Great Britain and Northern Ireland than in the Republic of Ireland. This is likely to be due to the historical use of asbestos being more prominent in the UK.
As the findings were published on 13 January in the scientific journal Occupational Medicine, the Society of Occupational Medicine urged employers to do more to tackle mental health problems and invest in workplace health.
One in four adults will experience a mental health condition each year and mental health is thought to cost UK employers £26 billion each year – on average £1,035 per employee.
Society president Dr Alasdair Emslie said: “The workplace is the ideal environment to cost-effectively address a variety of health problems including supporting those with mental health problems. Early recognition of the signs of stress, anxiety and depression is the crucial first step in dealing with such problems and preventing them from becoming more serious.
“Occupational health specialists have the ability to improve the health of thousands of workers by bringing in policies and wellbeing programmes – a general practitioner can affect a tiny proportion of this number by seeing them one to one for a few minutes each year.”
The society said there was good evidence that better access to occupational health services and psychological support could help employees with mental health problems get back to work quickly while a proactive approach that promotes employee wellbeing would help to increase productivity and reduce staff sickness and turnover.
Palmers’ employment law specialist Lara Murray said: “Employers have legal duties to protect their employees from work-related health risks, including mental ill health.
“To support a healthy working environment, it is sensible for employers to regularly risk assess their activities to highlight potential stressors and take steps to remove these stressors or reduce the likelihood of harm being caused. Policies and procedures for managing ill health should also be implemented to ensure that any issues are addressed and progress monitored.
“Our team can provide expert advice to employers on actions they need to take to safeguard their employees from stress. For more information, please contact us.”