National strategy for mental health and work launched

The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has endorsed a government initiative to tackle the most common health issue preventing people from supporting themselves in work – mental illness.

Mental ill-health is now the single largest cause of both absence from work and people claiming incapacity benefit. Around 40% or 1 million people receiving incapacity benefits do so for a variety of mental ill-health conditions which include common problems such as stress, anxiety and depression, to more serious conditions.

In a written ministerial statement published on Tuesday 27th November, Peter Hain, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, announced the development with the Department of Health of a national strategy for mental health and work, and a number of measures to support employers and people with mental health problems so that they are able to take an active role in the workplace.

The strategy will look at ways to ensure a co-ordinated response across government to the challenges faced by those with mental health conditions and to improve their employment opportunities.

Among practical support measures to get people suffering from mental health conditions back into the workplace, and to help them stay there, the number of employment advisors available in GP surgeries will be tripling from six to 18, with the Government allocating £5 million to fund it. This is in addition to a new £8 million advice and support service to be piloted to assist smaller businesses.

According to the Office for National Statistics, around one in four British adults experience at least one diagnosable mental health problem in any one year, and one in six experiences this at any given time.

Ray Hurst, president of IOSH, said, “In 2006/7 a total of 13.8 million working days were lost to work-related stress, depression and anxiety. IOSH believes that good communication between managers, employees, occupational health professionals and safety and health practitioners is essential if people are to be helped to remain in or return to work quickly.

“IOSH welcomes the proposal to provide mental health and employment support in a more holistic way so that healthcare support and back–to-work support is part of a ’seamless package’. The provision of job related support in GP surgeries should not only help patients but help to highlight issues to GPs.”
www.iosh.co.uk