In this 3-part interview series, the ECA Communications Section caught up with the UN Health Centre Team that organises the annual World Mental Health Day. We discussed the origins and the reasons why UN staff need a healthy working environment to deliver better on mandates.
Q. What are the origins of World Mental Health Day?
A. The 10th of October is celebrated as World Mental Health Day. It was first observed in 1992 at the initiative of World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH). Up until 1994, the day had no specific theme other than the general promotion of mental health advocacy and educating the public. In 1994, the WFMH came up with a theme for the year : Improving the Quality of Mental Health Services throughout the World. Since 1996 each year it was celebrated with a different theme, such as, ‘It’s Time to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace.’ This was the theme of the recent 2024 commemoration.
The 2024 theme coincides with the launch of the ‘United Nations System Mental Health and Well-being Strategy for 2024 and beyond’ by the Secretary-General, which was endorsed by the heads of management of all UN system organizations, and applies to the whole of the UN system. It is a comprehensive approach to address the needs of the United Nations personnel and improve organizational capacities to prevent poor mental health and protect and promote good mental health and well-being.
Q. How serious is mental health as an issue among UN staff?
As stated on UN website, baseline data and subsequent studies have confirmed that United Nations system personnel experience a number of psychosocial risk factors at work and have reported high rates of symptoms consistent with a mental health condition. The cost of inaction is high. Poor mental health leads to reduced productivity and staff absences, and turnover, and it affects the ability of the United Nations to deliver on its mandates. There are also costs to United Nations personnel and their families and communities as they navigate the impact of symptoms of poor mental health and the effect that they can have on their lives. Actions that are taken now can have a real and positive impact on the mental health of United Nations personnel.
Q. What is in the United Nations System Mental Health and Well-being Strategy for 2024 and beyond’
The Strategy is aligned with the WHO/ILO policy brief on mental health at work, which has three main pillars of interventions in which organizations are called upon to:
-
Prevent risks to mental health at work
-
Promote well-being and protect mental health at work
-
Support personnel with mental health conditions
As stated in the Strategy, leadership buy-in and advocacy is required to enable a successful change process within an organization. This means that the head of the organization openly advocates mental health and well-being, behaves in a manner that models and promotes a healthy workplace, and ensures that appropriate resources are allocated.