Mental Health and Well-Being: a Strategic Commitment for People, Companies and Society
By CUF and the National School of Public Health
A mental health is today one of the biggest public health challenges, with a direct impact on individual and collective well-being, productivity and economic and social sustainability. In a constantly changing working environment, marked by growing demands and uncertainty, this issue has become one of the most important. strategic priority for organizations.
Adults spend a significant proportion of their lives in the workplace. In turn, working environments can have a profound impact on employees' mental health.
Integrating mental health into management and social responsibility strategies allows companies to assume that they are truly public health agentsby promoting healthier, more inclusive and sustainable working environments. This approach not only improves performance and organizational longevity, but also increases social impact, as each employee joins family networks and communities that also benefit from this commitment.
Portuguese data shows that three out of four workers have at least one symptom of burnout and a quarter take psychotropic medication. In turn, interventions aimed at promoting healthy working environments show positive effects, particularly those aimed at changing working environments.
In fact managing people's well-being is now recognized as a pillar of sustainable development. By investing in the physical, mental and emotional well-being of their employees, companies create positive and motivating working environments that boost innovation, engagement and productivity, while reducing absenteeism and presenteeism. As well as responding to contemporary social and environmental expectations, this strategy guarantees the relevance and competitiveness of organizations in the global market.
However, despite the growing recognition of its importance, many organizations still face difficulties in turning this commitment into concrete practices. It was with this challenge in mind that GRACE's Mental Health and Wellbeing Cluster, which brings together companies with a track record in this area, led by CUF and curated by the National School of Public Health, develops resources and tools to support companies in the construction of a an organizational culture centered on care, resilience and the active promotion of mental health and well-being.
Among other instruments, a Charter of Principles on the subject, a Toolkit for Mental Health in the Workplace and a Guide to Standards and Certifications in Mental Health and Wellbeing A Maturity Matrix for Mental Health and Well-being Actions is being developed to help organizations position themselves at different stages of development, considering eleven dimensions, from leadership and risk management to the balance between demands, well-being and work-life balance, including prevention and mitigation actions and actions to detect problems associated with mental health.
At a time of increasing professional demands, it is imperative to create environments that value the whole person, offering the necessary support for each employee to reach their full potential. Companies that invest in the well-being and mental health of their employees not only demonstrate ethical responsibility, but also guarantee greater productivity, innovation and resilience in the long term.
More than a matter of social responsibility, taking care of mental health is a essential strategy for the sustainable success of organizations - and, ultimately, for the health of our society.
On World Mental Health Day, we reaffirm our conviction that this is an issue that requires a collective commitment, and is a shared responsibility of companies, health institutions, schools and society as a whole, so that mental health is understood, respected and promoted as an inseparable part of life and work.
Mariana Ribeiro FerreiraDirector of the Corporate Citizenship and Social Responsibility Department at CUF
Ana Rita Goes, Assistant Professor and Marília Silva Paulo, Assistant Researcher at the National School of Public Health
