GENEVA: Far more must be done to safeguard mental health on the job, the United Nations said Wednesday, presenting new guidelines on how to lessen psychological strains linked to the workplace.The UN agencies for health and labor published two documents filled with advice on how best to prevent and protect against mental health risks at work, warning that psychological distress is costly for individuals and society alike.
But it stressed that harmful or poor working conditions, poor working relationships and unemployment 'can significantly contribute to worsening mental health or exacerbate existing mental health conditions.'The workplace can also amplify wider issues that negatively affect mental health, like discrimination over gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation and disability, the WHO pointed out.