Emotional well being Flashcards
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) – Everyone has the right
- to work
- to free choice of employment
- to just and favourable conditions
- to rest and leisure
- to a standard of living adequate for health and well being including food and clothing
Mental health is a global issue
- pandemic focused our attention on mental health
- impact on key worker’s mental health is clear
- impact on those working from home becoming clearer
Mental health at work – already a global concern
- World Health Organisation- Guidance on factors for good mental health at work
Canada: National standards for workplace well-being - 2018
Japan: imposes a legal overtime cap (Ito and Iruga, 2018) – cultural issues of karoshi
New Zealand: first nation to announce a ‘Well-being budget’ (2019)
Psychological well-being at work is a UK issue
- Brexit in the workplace; impact on Remainers & EU citizens (Weinberg et al, 2020)
- Black Report (2008)– ‘work is a key determinant of health’; Foresight Commission (2009) – ‘mental capital’
- Sickness absence – overall drop but 40% of employers note increase due to mental health problems (CIPD, 2014)
What is healthy working?
- ansence of harmful conditions but an abundance of health promoting ones (Leka et al, 2007)
Well-being
- a healthy equilibrium enabling optimum functioning in the context of one’s environment’
What is good mental health linked too?
- autonomy, aspiration, competence, affective well-being & integrated functioning (Warr, 1989)
- cognitive functioning, motivation, prosocial behaviours, positive physical health and emotions (Van Horn et al, 2004)
Mental health literacy
- understanding how to obtain and maintain positive mental health
- understanding common mental health problems and treatments
- decreasing stigma related to mental health problems
- enhancing help-seeking efficacy to improve the prevention, recognition and management
Happiness is…
- subjective
- linked to effective well being and pleasure (hedonism)
- linked to self fulfilment and doing what’s right (eudaimonism)
- work can boost this through autonomy, aspiration ect
Happiness at work
- job satisfaction
- organisational commitment
- job involvement
- engagement
- flow and emotion
Happiness at work statistics
3/10 employees will experience an episode of a psychological illness in any given year (RCP, 2008)
13.4 million working days lost annually to stress, anxiety & depression in the UK (HSE, 2008)
Absence due to episode of psychological strain lasts on average 26.8 days (HSE, 2009)
UK annual costs of poor mental health at work £30bn (ACAS, 2017)
Individual symptoms of strain
- may be acute or chronic and some are indicative of depression & anxiety:
- Physiological: sleep problems, headaches, decrease in sexual interest, chest pain, twitches
- Behavioural: withdrawal, irritability, poor communication, crying, forgetful, drug & alcohol abuse
- Emotional/cognitive: lack of confidence, low self-esteem, low mood, difficulty making decisions
Chronic symptoms of strain
- death
- premature birth
- coronary heart disease
- drug abuse in junior doctors
- dementia
Organisational symptoms of strain
- work loss days
- high turnover of staff
- poor service
- errors and accidents
- sabotage
HSE Management Standards for boosting well-being at work
Demands – workload, patterns of work
Control – decisions over own work
Support – encouragement, sponsorship
Relationships – promoting positives, dealing with unacceptable behaviour
Role – clarity, absence of conflict
Change – management, communications
