ILO Estimates Effects of Psychosocial Risks at Work
A new report published by the International Labor Organization (ILO) attributes approximately 840,000 deaths each year to health conditions linked to psychosocial risks at work. Examples of these risks include long working hours, job insecurity, and workplace harassment, which are associated with cardiovascular diseases and mental disorders, ILO states.
Psychosocial risks at work also account for the annual loss of almost 45 million disability-adjusted life years, or DALYs, according to the report. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines DALYs as the total years of life lost due to disability from prevalent cases of a disease in a population. ILO estimates the economic effects as annual losses of 1.37 percent of global gross domestic product.
The organization’s estimates are based on the global prevalence of psychosocial risk factors, research linking them to adverse health conditions, and health data from WHO and the Global Burden of Disease study.
Workplace developments such as digitalization, artificial intelligence, remote work, and new employment arrangements contribute to higher levels of psychosocial risks, according to ILO.
“Psychosocial risks are becoming one of the most significant challenges for occupational safety and health in the modern world of work,” said Manal Azzi, who leads ILO’s OSH Policy and Systems Team. “Improving the psychosocial working environment is essential not only for protecting workers’ mental and physical health, but also for strengthening productivity, organizational performance and sustainable economic development.”
The report lists many examples of preventive measures related to the design of jobs and tasks, the management and organization of work, and the creation of policies, practices, and procedures. A few of the suggested preventive measures are alternating work that requires intense cognitive effort with less-strenuous activities, limiting complexity in the sequencing of tasks, providing additional support to workers during periods of increased demand, rotating workers to less demanding responsibilities, and allowing workers time to recover following intense tasks.
The report “The Psychosocial Working Environment: Global Developments and Pathways for Action” is available from the ILO website. For more information, refer to the organization’s press release.
Related: Recent articles on psychosocial risks and hazards include “Recovery from Technostress: How to Prevent Psychosocial Hazards That Extend Beyond the Workplace,” “Mental Health in the Workplace: Tips for Supporting Workers’ Mental Well-being,” and “Treating the Whole Worker: A Case Study in Occupational Mental Health Services.”
The recording of a recent AIHA University Webinar, “Psychosocial Hazards 101: What Every OEHS Professional Should Know Webinar Recording,” is available for purchase from the AIHA website. AIHA University also offers the Fatigue Management Learning Pathway.