Workplace Mental Health Stats - Prevent Suicides

Currently, approximately 3.7 billion people in the world are employed, and 15% of adults in the workforce face mental health conditions. Without proper aid, this can impact a person's self-esteem and ability to work effectively, leading to absenteeism and difficulty remaining/acquiring employment. Ultimately, mental health issues have detrimental consequences not just on an individual but also on their families, companions, communities and society as a whole.

All people should be provided with the opportunity to work, and given a safe, healthy environment in which to do so. Work can have a positive impact on an individual's mental health, but it can also become a factor that exacerbates existing conditions.

Fortunately, such situations are preventable. Companies must take steps to safeguard and foster psychological well-being on the job as well as enable those who struggle with their mental health to participate in work equitably and without hindrance.

High Risks Where Employees Commit Suicide

• Not having the opportunity to use one's abilities fully or not having enough knowledge for a particular job.
• Being overburdened with duties, as well as having an inadequate number of employees for a given workload.
• Having to work long hours in unfriendly atmospheres and during times which cannot be easily changed.
• Derogatory attitude from bosses.
• Being skill-shamed and cornered for personal vengeance.
• Not being able to dictate how jobs should be completed or what the load should encompass.
• Not enjoying a safe work environment and being surrounded by hazardous conditions.
• when working in places where organisational policies tolerate and promote negative behaviour.
• Having little assistance from co-workers or facing authoritarian management styles.

A study from the World Health Organisation's June 2022 World Mental Health Report uncovered that one billion people suffered from a mental disorder in 2019, with 15% of working age adults affected. The way work is conducted can add to the problems that harm mental health, such as discrimination and inequality, but also more specific issues like bullying and psychological violence (otherwise known as "mobbing"). Whilst this has an undeniable negative effect on our wellbeing, discussing or revealing your own mental health remains a largely unspoken subject in workplaces around the world.

“It’s time to focus on the detrimental effect work can have on our mental health,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “The well-being of the individual is reason enough to act, but poor mental health can also have a debilitating impact on a person’s performance and productivity.

Tragic Incidents in India

1. In January 2022, a tragic incident took place in Hyderabad, Telangana. Roop Kishore Singh, a 31-year-old IT worker, decided to take his own life by hanging himself from a ceiling fan. His family believes the sheer work pressure he was facing drove him to make that choice. Just before he ended his life, Singh sent a message on their family WhatsApp group expressing deep frustration and despair with his current situation. He said it was the only way he could cope with the troubles in his life - one of which was unbearable job stress.
2. Tragedy struck again, this time claiming the life of a 39-year-old assistant manager from a multinational firm. It is believed that he took his life at his home located in Gurugram, following allegations made against him by a female coworker. In a desperate attempt to explain himself, before ending his own life, the late Mr.Amit Kumar wrote down four pages of explanation in a suicide note.
3. Tragically, the life of 34-year-old Anil Kumar, who was employed by Tata Consultancy Services located near Hyderabad hanged allegedly due to heavy pressure at work, on August 2021.
4. In 2019, 23 years old Gundla Chaitanya took his own life at a guest hostel in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad. As part of his last act on this earth, Chaitanya wrote a note to his parents revealing that job dissatisfaction was the primary cause of his tragic decision.

Sadly, work-related stress has driven too many people employed in the IT sector or at MNCs to take their own lives. The usual culprits are long hours, unethical bosses, intense deadlines, massive workloads and job insecurity, as well as disputes with colleagues and supervisors. It is a harrowing reminder of the burden that some have to bear in their everyday working life.

A glimpse into a bustling office in India will show the reality of numerous white-collar employees is under immense strain. Long hours, low pay and poor prospects are contributing to the anxiety they endure on a daily basis. Nonetheless, some positions do offer substantial remuneration; however, this does not come without its own pressures. Evidently, high-flying occupations can be incredibly demanding and cause considerable tension for those involved.