New research has revealed that Zimbabwe leads the way in mental health cases among workers, with the majority suffering from depression because their salaries cannot support them in an inflationary environment, News Beezer reports.
A year-long study by Zimbabwe Industrial Psychology Consultants (IPC) found that over 40 per cent of organisations in the country have seen an increase in reported mental health problems due to anxiety and depression, primarily caused by ‘slave wages’.
IPC made the claims during a three-day conference last week hosted by the National Social Security Agency (NSA) in Harare.
The study also concluded that men are in the majority of those suffering from poor mental health.
“The mental illness of the Zimbabwean workforce is much higher than in other countries,” IPC said.
“About 55 per cent of the respondents said that their mental health problems were due to poor pay, 25 per cent to work pressure, 10 per cent to nepotism, 5 per cent to racism and the remaining 5 per cent to the current economic situation in Zimbabwe.”
Zimbabwe’s unstable economic environment since the turn of the century has been a major concern for the country’s workers.
Company closures over the past two decades have also increased anxiety among workers who fear losing their primary source of income.
It is common for workers with mental health problems to work below their abilities.
“Some have failed to control their lives because of hopelessness, which makes them feel worthless,” IPC said.
“Of the 77 participants in the study, the results showed that 47 men never bothered to seek help, while 10 men sometimes sought help.
Labor Department director Langton Ngorima said most mental health problems were due to violence and harassment in the workplace, which came in physical, psychological and sexual forms.
“There are three workplace dynamics that cause office violence and harassment. Some happen horizontally and this between employees, some happen vertically and this between supervisors and finally some occur through third parties and these are customers, clients or patients,” Ngorima said.
He said the majority of those who suffered from mental illness as a result of the violence and harassment they have endured are interns.
Ngorima said most of the students were exploited because companies didn’t pay them and they didn’t have the money for transportation. They do not report their experiences anywhere because they fear that their internships will be cancelled.
“Most students do not have the money for transportation, lunch or various luxuries and so suffer,” he said.
Sacrifice Chirisa - assistant director at the Department of Health and Childcare - said mental health programs were missing from most corporate wellness programs because they were considered costly.
“Healthy work environments are key to keeping employees healthy and safe,” he said.
Source: News Beezer
New research has revealed that Zimbabwe leads the way in mental health cases among workers, with the majority suffering from depression because their salaries cannot support them in an inflationary environment, News Beezer reports.
A year-long study by Zimbabwe Industrial Psychology Consultants (IPC) found that over 40 per cent of organisations in the country have seen an increase in reported mental health problems due to anxiety and depression, primarily caused by ‘slave wages’.
IPC made the claims during a three-day conference last week hosted by the National Social Security Agency (NSA) in Harare.
The study also concluded that men are in the majority of those suffering from poor mental health.
“The mental illness of the Zimbabwean workforce is much higher than in other countries,” IPC said.
“About 55 per cent of the respondents said that their mental health problems were due to poor pay, 25 per cent to work pressure, 10 per cent to nepotism, 5 per cent to racism and the remaining 5 per cent to the current economic situation in Zimbabwe.”
Zimbabwe’s unstable economic environment since the turn of the century has been a major concern for the country’s workers.
Company closures over the past two decades have also increased anxiety among workers who fear losing their primary source of income.
It is common for workers with mental health problems to work below their abilities.
“Some have failed to control their lives because of hopelessness, which makes them feel worthless,” IPC said.
“Of the 77 participants in the study, the results showed that 47 men never bothered to seek help, while 10 men sometimes sought help.
Labor Department director Langton Ngorima said most mental health problems were due to violence and harassment in the workplace, which came in physical, psychological and sexual forms.
“There are three workplace dynamics that cause office violence and harassment. Some happen horizontally and this between employees, some happen vertically and this between supervisors and finally some occur through third parties and these are customers, clients or patients,” Ngorima said.
He said the majority of those who suffered from mental illness as a result of the violence and harassment they have endured are interns.
Ngorima said most of the students were exploited because companies didn’t pay them and they didn’t have the money for transportation. They do not report their experiences anywhere because they fear that their internships will be cancelled.
“Most students do not have the money for transportation, lunch or various luxuries and so suffer,” he said.
Sacrifice Chirisa - assistant director at the Department of Health and Childcare - said mental health programs were missing from most corporate wellness programs because they were considered costly.
“Healthy work environments are key to keeping employees healthy and safe,” he said.
Source: News Beezer