October is recognised as World Mental Health Awareness Month. Notably, the theme for World Mental Health Day 2024 is ‘It is Time to Prioritise Mental Health in the Workplace’. The theme highlights the importance of addressing mental health and wellbeing in the workplace and aligns with data consistently demonstrating that prioritising mental health in the workplace benefits people, organisations, and communities.
While there is a growing focus on mental health and mental health issues, we need to ask if this is a focal point in every aspect of our lives.
Global businesses and the global business landscape were significantly disrupted during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Many companies failed to adjust to a disrupted operating environment, with business executives at sixes and sevens as to how to steer their companies out of troubled waters.
It is important to note that this is not a new issue. C-suite executives, especially those early in their careers, often feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of leading a company. This burden may have a significant negative impact on their mental health and wellbeing.
A significant stigma
While mental health issues are becoming more common, and society is becoming more accepting of those who have mental health issues, a significant stigma exists when it comes to mental health issues within corporate environments.
According to the businessolver 2024 State of Workplace Empathy Report, globally, 81% of CEOs and 67% of employees agree that companies view someone with mental health issues as weak or a burden.
The report adds that a pervasive mental health stigma and other worrisome barriers to demonstrating empathy in the workplace are perpetuating these gaps, including being viewed as weak and coworker intimidation concerns.
The report also points out that the decline in mental well-being isn’t surprising. The post-COVID era has been fraught with challenges from every angle over the past four years, from financial strife to political tensions.
This year, the data gathered by businessolver brought forward another instigator: Workplace toxicity. Half of all global CEOs and one in three employees view their workplaces as toxic. Overall, 42% of total respondents to a businessolver survey agree or strongly agree that their workplace is toxic, with CEOs (52%) and Gen Z (52%) most likely to feel their culture is toxic.
The report points out that this year’s findings suggest a strong association between toxicity in the workplace and mental health issues: Overall, employees who say that their workplace is toxic are 47% more likely to cite mental health issues compared to those who do not cite a toxic workplace. For CEOs, this is even higher at 64%. Working adults dedicate more of their waking hours to work than to any other activity. Ideally, work should offer financial stability and serve as a source of meaning, purpose, and fulfilment. However, for many individuals, work fails to live up to this expectation, often diminishing quality of life and negatively impacting mental health, leading to significant stress and mental health challenges.
If we want to create companies that will be key economic drivers, we need to create calm, accepting, and non-toxic workspaces. This imperative is becoming increasingly important.
A dangerous situation
If the above statistics are relevant to South Africa, it would create a hazardous situation.
The World Health Organization Global Health Observatory Data Repository reports that there are only 1.52 psychiatrists for every 100 thousand South Africans in South Africa. Further, 73% of these psychiatrists operate within the private sector, and only 50% of South Africa’s public hospitals have psychiatrists. These are focused on the extensive public health facilities in urban areas. This leaves mental health patients in rural areas with minimal support.
South Africa needs to accelerate its focus on addressing mental health issues if it wants to align with the global approach to the subject. While a lot has been done in South Africa to address mental health, the reality is that it is still a subject that needs significant focus from the Government, both from a funding perspective and to address existing stigmas associated with mental health.
How MANCOSA is driving change
The MANCOSA School of Healthcare (SoH) actively contributes to collective efforts to improve the narrative addressing mental health issues within the tertiary education landscape. The SoH offers short learning programmes that specifically deal with mental health. Additionally, we try to incorporate mental health best practice principles in other SoH offerings. The NHI is also a perfect opportunity to change the African mental health narrative. Advancements in technology can offer significant levers of value when designing a universal health system that promotes equitable access to quality healthcare for all South Africans.
It is important to note that many entrepreneurs were forced to start their own companies during the pandemic to provide for their families. This is concerning as entrepreneurs without formal business training can become overwhelmed by the business’s requirements and the responsibilities that come with being an entrepreneur.
Entrepreneurship and education are not just complementary; they are interdependent pillars that provide the skills, mindset, and resilience needed to navigate today’s economic landscape. The world of work is undergoing a massive transformation, and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset through education will be essential for equipping individuals and businesses to innovate, adapt, and thrive. MANCOSA offers several courses focusing on entrepreneurship and business development, providing prospective business owners with critical skills to help them run their businesses effectively.
At MANCOSA, we are committed to this vision, ensuring that our students are ready to face today’s challenges and seize tomorrow’s opportunities.
Mehnaaz Olla
Manager, MANCOSA School of Healthcare
