It is estimated that by 2020 depression will be the second largest problem, in terms of Disability Adjustment Life Years (DALYs), that is years of productivity lost due to a disability, Health Minister Joe Cassar said yesterday.

Dr Cassar was addressing a seminar entitled ‘Managing Stress at the Workplace’, organised by Richmond Foundation. In 2000, depression was the fourth largest problem, according to the World Health Organisation.

He said that occupational health and safety was a field which was growing in relevance, so it was positive to see that it was being given this importance. Some 25 per cent of the global population will experience mental problems at some point in their life, he said.

Even in the Lisbon Strategy, the issue of workers and adequate conditions was given importance. Healthy workers, in all senses of the word, Dr Cassar said, guaranteed innovation, production and economic growth.

Mark Rosso, from the Occupational Health and Safety Authority, said that mental health is a dynamic state, which allows the individuals to develop their potential, work productively and creatively.

Dr Rosso said work was crucial to promoting well being, and although stress was an adverse reaction to excessive pressures and demands, pressure in itself was not a negative thing, but could be positive in that it motivates people.

Multiple evidence has indicated that prolonged periods of stress can have adverse effects on the physical and psychological health of a person, causing anxiety, depression, lower levels of concentration and poor decision making.

Congratulating Richmond Foundation on succeeding in bringing employers, workers and their representatives, and the Occupational Health and Safety Authority together to discuss this risk to the health and safety of workers, Dr Cassar said that while the government had the potential to influence through legislation, these parties were duty bound to share this burden.

Dr Rosso said that the costs of stress at work appear in the form of less commitment to work, a decreased performance and productivity, accidents caused by errors and a high staff turnover, as well as lower attendance levels among others.

Increased productivity, better attendance and staff retention are among the benefits of decreasing stress on the workplace, he said. The focus of the Authority is on prevention of stress, Dr Rosso said, and it looks to measures to decrease stress where reasonably practicable.

Richmond Foundation CEO, Dolores Gauci, said safety at work was becoming more of a challenge, as it went beyond hard hats and the appropriate gear. With the development of technology, stress at work has increased. Ignoring this came at a cost, even financially.

Ms Gauci said employers have a role; that of educating and increasing the awareness of mental health problems, promoting good mental health practices, recognising and identifying these at an early stage and establishing links with local mental health services.

Some recommendations, she said, included adequate time to perform tasks, a clear job description, rewards for good performance and allowing any complaints to be made and action taken.

The need for each company to develop its own mental health policy was stressed during the seminar, as this could reap many benefits.



Facts

• The 4th European Survey of Work Conditions revealed that in 2005 some 22 per cent suffered from work related stress.

• Malta saw an increase of 12 per cent in work related stress, placing second after Slovenia.

• £530 – £545 is spent annually on each employee on stress related sickness.

• Stress costs the UK 10 per cent of its Gross National Product, yet less than 10 per cent of the companies have a policy in place to tackle it.

• e20 billion were spent annually in the EU15 in 2002 on work related stress.