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Surveys show that during a year 25% of workers experience a mental health issue.

Staff mental health management

Ain
Ain Aaviksoo
Staff mental health management
ain.aaviksoo@heba.eeLinkedIn

Recent years in the world have brought to light the unresolved issues in workers’ mental health and burnout has been vocally emphasized.

One of the biggest problems for employers has become the lack of necessary support and the confusion in finding the right starting point for an employee who wants to actively manage their mental health or who has early stage mental health concerns.

According to the OECD, poorly managed mental health costs European employers €260 billion a year (1.6% of GDP). Thus, finding a solution is a common concern for both the private and public sectors. Sustainable approach in this respect requires a very good coordination of activities and responsibilities starting from the employee herself up to the employer and public authorities.

Why?

As part of the Accelerate Estonia experiment, we are trying to find a solution to the situation where people of working age are left without a comprehensive solution, which leads to:

  • 5x more days off work;
  • 5x higher probability of long-term incapacity for work;
  • 2x more likelihood of employment relationship termination.

At the same time, it is necessary to consider that there are not enough specialists dealing with mental health disorders, and at the same time the number of people with mental health problems is growing.

What?

The primary goal is to develop and pilot a network-based model for employee mental health management that supports both the employee as well as the employer.

The model to be developed will focus on a collaborative platform that includes a digital platform supported by a network of different support and consulting services helping to achieve good mental health. By focusing on your day-to-day core activities while having access to the network, which is based on such a model, it should be possible to detect mental health problems at an early stage and intervene in a timely manner and in a way that suits each individual and every employer.

The parallel goal is also to reach a solution in mental health management where the various parties, from the employer to the public sector, have a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities and the means and capacity to do so.

HeBA EN

How?

The experiment uses delphi method, service design and simulation analysis to analyze usability and preliminary feedback from pilot implementation of HeBA.One digital platform and related network in concrete companies. We also analyze the suitability of such an approach in different contexts and criteria for economic sustainability.

In addition to employers and employees, the input is collected from occupational health and family physicians, mental health and health nurses, and psychologists. Also politicians interested in the field as well as public sector representatives from various agencies will be involved in the design of processes. The successful experiment should reach a description of a consensual and sustainable model for employee mental health management.