Mental health in working life
- News
Mental health is linked not only to the well-being of individuals but also to that of society. Phenomena related to mental health vary by culture and era. The transition from industrial labour to more knowledge-based work that began at the end of the 20th century has changed what is required of people psychologically and the sources of strain.
In today's working life, an employee's mental health can be strained, for example, by the requirement of self-direction, or that the employee is at least partially responsible for managing their own work. Adapting to an open office or remote work can be difficult, and many other everyday challenges are also naturally linked to the world of work.
Mental health problems are often treated by medical means, but they also require community-based solutions from workplaces. To prevent and solve mental health problems caused by work, workplaces must strive for good management, sufficient resources and carefully organised work. Cooperation between educational institutions and workplaces could, in turn, support young people transitioning to employment.
Learning difficulties and mental health
Developmental learning difficulties are inherent challenges in information processing. Learning difficulties may not always be diagnosed, but they can show in different ways in day-to-day life and at work.
Working life often assumes that the employee masters basic skills, such as reading and counting. This can be problematic for persons with learning difficulties. In working life, learning difficulties can manifest themselves as slow reading or writing speed, difficulties in learning to use electronic systems, challenges in performing mathematical tasks or concentration problems. These challenges may cause psychosocial strain, experiences of failure and shame, and the person may try to cover them up. In this context, fatigue and mental health problems are possible.
It is important that learning difficulties are identified at workplaces. Under the Non-Discrimination Act, employers are obliged to provide support for these challenges. The support may be individual work arrangements or digital aids, for example. A permissive and safe work atmosphere is also essential. Suitable support measures and the identification of individual strengths ensure that learning difficulties are not an obstacle to success in working life.
Mental health toolkit to support working life
The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health has produced a Mental Health Toolkit to help work communities build a work culture that supports mental well-being. The free tools and materials can be used, for example, in
- developing supervisory work,
- mapping stress factors in brainwork,
- developing occupational health cooperation,
- assessing the organisation's recovery practices and
- forming a situational picture of your own well-being at work.
The article is based on the speeches heard at the Työmaailman parannusviikko event on 17 September. The speakers included Social Psychologist and Research Professor Ari Väänänen from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (mental health in working life), Development Manager for Learning and Mental Health Support Johanna Stenberg from the Finnish Rehabilitation Foundation (learning difficulties in working life) and Senior Specialist Kirsi Unkila from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (Mental Health Toolkit).
More information
The Mental Health Toolkit for workplaces and occupational healthcare providers (hyvatyo.ttl.fi)