The mental health disorders increased considerably due to the pandemic. This was reflected in a WHO study, which reflected that essential services had been paralyzed in 90% of the countries. Another recent study from the scientific journal The Lancet notes that worldwide cases of anxiety and depression increased by 25% globally during the peak period of COVID-19.
In this context, InfoJobs has published its Report on Mental Health and Work Benefits. The results of the same indicate that one out of every two mental health problems of the employed population in Spain is directly related to work. These data contrast with the fact that, as of next year, the WHO will recognize the so-called syndrome of the burnout as a disease, being a reason for sick leave. In addition, during the last year, one in four workers (27%) claims to have suffered some problem or symptoms related to mental health.
Among the total employed, the difference between mental health problems suffered by men (21%) and women (35%) stands out. Similarly, by age range, young people between 16 and 24 years of age suffer the most mental health problems (44%).
Mónica Pérez, director of communication and studies at InfoJobs points out: “The conclusions drawn from this report reaffirm the importance of establishing mechanisms that regulate aspects such as digital disconnection, overtime or others related to the mental well-being of employees.” Pérez adds: “It is essential that companies initiate a change of mentality and are aware that, since the main asset of their business is precisely their workers, it is vital that they can enjoy working conditions that favor their personal and work well-being”.
One in 3 mental health problems have required treatment
Although in most cases the problems of professionals related to mental health are of medium gravity (53%) or mild (33%), 1 in 3 workers who have suffered any symptoms say that they have had to treat it.
On the other hand, mental health has caused during the last year that three out of every 10 workers with some problem have had to be absent from the job. To be more exact, 17% of the professionals who have suffered from these problems have been on leave because of them, while 21% of the employees have been absent without leave.
Finally, as the data in the report points out, the fact that a good part of the workers have had to carry out their work from home during the last year does not seem to have been a prominent trigger of problems related to mental health. In fact, only 23% of those employed who have suffered this symptomatology due to work-related causes link it precisely to teleworking.
Eight out of 10 workers in Spain do not have health insurance
Taking this whole framework into account, it is significant that three out of four workers do not receive any type of tool or solution from their company to combat in some way the symptoms that warn of a mental health problem. In fact, only one in 10 has medical insurance with mental health coverage or has access to training, workshops or employee assistance programs. Also, it turns out that eight out of every 10 workers in Spain do not have health insurance provided by their company as an employment benefit.
If we delve a little more into this point, the labor benefits, we observe that only half of the professionals (55%) have some labor benefit. In this sense, the most common employment benefit that workers can access is job-related training (31%), followed by the aforementioned medical insurance and parking space (16%).
