In January 2020, the Consortium, coordinated by Prof. Ella Arensman, School of Public Health and National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, met for its first project meeting in Cork, Ireland.
Enterprises are increasingly aware of the tremendous costs caused by absenteeism and presenteeism due to depression and the responsibility to support mental health of their employees. The EU-funded large-scale research “Mental Health Promotion and Intervention in Occupational Settings” project addresses non-clinical aspects such as stress or burnout as well as depression as a prevalent and severe medical disorder.
In January 2020, the Consortium, coordinated by Prof. Ella Arensman, School of Public Health and National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, met for its first project meeting in Cork, Ireland. The consortium consisting of 17 high-ranked international partners discussed the approaching work packages, milestones and desired impact of the project in order to develop, implement and evaluate various (online) interventions and training materials.
“The “Mental Health Promotion and Intervention in Occupational Settings” project will provide sustainable interventions for mental health promotion in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Europe and Australia by involving employees, supervisors and managers, and by combining expertise from all relevant disciplines. A unique aspect of the intervention programme is the focus on both non-clinical aspects, such as burnout or stress and clinical conditions, including severe depression and anxiety”, says Arensman.
Why research on mental health in the workplace matters
Whereas established employer guidelines on alcohol related problems already exist, little is known on how to address the topic of depression and suicidal behaviour. Prof. Ulrich Hegerl emphasizes: “Depression is such a common and serious mental condition that basic knowledge on the topic is urgently needed also in SMEs. Part of this knowledge can be learning how to conduct a conversation with an employee who, for example, no longer has lunch with his colleagues or sits crying in front of his computer. Such measures can pave the way to professional treatment and thus avoid the costs of absenteeism and presenteeism”. By training HR managers, executives and employees, affected colleagues may find their way to professional treatment more quickly.
Proven expertise from 17 project partners
The “Mental Health Promotion and Intervention in Occupational Settings” project will design interventions that address a range of complaints and psychiatric conditions (such as depression, anxiety disorders, stress-related symptoms) and will be targeted at and delivered to SMEs in the areas of construction, healthcare and ICT. The project merges experts in mental health, suicide prevention, depression, stigma, implementation science, health economics and other interdisciplinary fields from Albania, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Kosovo, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, Australia and the USA. Overall, the consortium aims at improving the early recognition and treatment of depression in occupational settings and reduce suicidal behaviour. The consortium will build on proven concepts (EAAD’s 4-level programme, iFightDepression self-management programme and information website), which will be adapted to the specific needs of SMEs.