For decades, the field of workplace safety was almost exclusively concerned with physical injuries and the risk factors that contribute to them. But as EHS, ergonomics, and healthcare have advanced, it has become increasingly clear that there is another central piece to the safety puzzle: mental health.
This evolution follows a trend in society as a whole. As medical professionals and lay people are becoming more cognizant of how mental health affects or daily lives, so have safety professionals become aware of the benefits of providing mental health support on the job.
In fact, many are questioning the strict separation between physical and psychological hazards. There is a growing consensus that physical safety and the sciences that support it (including ergonomics and biomechanics) are closely tied to mental health.
As these conversations progress, it is critical that EHS professionals learn to identify the connections between traditional safety risk factors and the mental health and wellbeing of employees.
Mental Health in the Workplace: Defining the Challenge
Mental health is a pervasive issue, affecting all members of the workforce regardless of their industry or profession.
Prevalence of Mental Health Issues
More than 1 in 5 adults in the United States report some level of mental illness every year, equating to roughly 57.8 million individuals in 2021. Of that figure, about 47% sought mental health services that year. Moreover, about 14.1 million adults experienced serious mental illness (defined as a disorder resulting in serious functional impairment that limits one or more major life activities).
Demographic data also reveals an unequal distribution of mental health issues across American adults, with young adults between 18-25 years old experiencing the highest rates of mental illness (34% compared to 28% among people aged 26-49 and 15% among people aged 50 and above). Mental health struggles are also more likely to occur among people belonging to multiple races. And mental illness is more commonly reported among women (27%) than men (18%).
Mental Health’s Impact on Work
In the workplace, these figures translate into substantial losses in productivity, reduced engagement, and a decrease in overall worker wellness.
About 1 in 10 workers report mental health issues related to their jobs, while 85% of American workers report that work affects their mental health. Research shows that depression interferes with a worker’s ability to complete their tasks about 20% of the time and reduces cognitive performance 35% of the time. Additionally, 71% of adults report at last one symptom of stress.
The costs associated with mental health issues in the workplace are significant. Depression and anxiety alone account for 12 billion workdays lost globally. In the U.S., each case of mental illness resulting in missed work days costs roughly $37,000. And depression and anxiety cost up to $1 trillion in lost productivity each year.
The problem compounds when other types of work-related injuries are involved. The CDC reports that the costs of treating individuals with both physical and mental health concerns is two to three times higher than for those only experiencing physical injuries. Chronic pain is one of the costliest work-related risk factors and is closely linked to mental health struggles, with 35 to 45% of those suffering from it also reporting depression. Generally, employees experiencing mental health concerns alongside work-related injuries also require more time to heal and recover before they can fully return to work.
Taking into account the fact that mental health issues are far more common than many physical injury types (research by Atticus finds that mental health issues account for 52% of all workplace injury cases), it’s clear that this poses a significant risk to employers’ operations and bottom line.
But there’s light on the horizon. Research also shows that investing in mental health support systems is remarkably effective at mitigating those costs, with employers seeing $4 in return from productivity gains with every $1 invested.
The Link Between Mental Health and Injuries
Conventional wisdom suggests that mental health challenges and physical occupational injuries (like musculoskeletal disorders, repetitive strain injuries, fall injuries, and chronic pain) are separate issues requiring discrete solutions.
But as workplace safety leaders increasingly lean into holistic strategies, guided by the NIOSH Total Worker Health™ approach, it is quickly becoming clear that investing time, energy, and resources into areas like ergonomics, mobility, and pain relief therapies has a measurable impact on mental wellness – and vice versa.
The fact is that workers who feel supported on the job are more engaged and more productive. Mitigating common risk factors like chronic pain and fatigue will also have positive effects on mental health by removing sources of job-related stress.
Supporting Mental Health Through Ergonomics and Holistic Safety Solutions
There’s no silver bullet for these challenges, but safety professionals striving to improve outcomes in ergonomics and mental health should be investing in integrated solutions that address every facet of the worker’s experience. Most safety programs are already equipped with some level of ergonomic support. The task for EHS leaders is to find areas where mental health support can be built into these existing safety programs.
Here are some examples of how this can be done.
Training and Education
Knowledge is the bedrock of any effective safety strategy. It also represents an opportunity to build awareness of how physical safety intersects with mental health.
Safety professionals should be supplementing basic safety training with more advanced biomechanics and mobility concepts, which are proven to reduce the physical strain associated with high-exertion tasks and mitigate the risk of chronic pain (a key indicator of mental health issues like depression and anxiety). At the same time, employees should be taught to recognize the signs of common mental health problems in themselves and their colleagues.
Transparency and Accountability
An effective safety program depends on a strong safety culture within the organization. Executives must be willing to learn about the importance of mental health and how it can impact frontline workers. That awareness must then filter down through the whole workforce in a way that encourages workers to speak up when they notice safety hazards – whether they’re physical or psychosocial.
Ergonomic Assessments
Ergonomic site assessments are meant to identify and mitigate hazards before they cause costly injuries. As professionals evaluate their facilities to improve the fit between workers and the equipment they use, they should pay special attention to hazards that contribute to issues that affect mental wellbeing, like chronic pain and fatigue.
Mental Health Support Services
Safety encompasses every aspect of a worker’s time on the job, and that includes benefits like health insurance. Packages offered to employees should have support for mental and behavioral health counseling.
Employers can also invest in tech solutions like smartphone apps that provide supplementary training for stress-relieving methods like mindfulness and meditation.
Pain Relief and Fatigue Management
Pain and fatigue are critical risk factors for mental health issues. Thankfully, employers have a wealth of tools at their disposal to mitigate those risks.
On-site pain relief therapies offered by trained specialists can dramatically reduce employee pain levels caused by overexertion and repetitive motion.
Fatigue is an ever-present challenge for any workplace Employers can combat it with wearable fatigue-monitoring devices, alertness tests, and altered scheduling to limit lengthy shifts or long periods spent doing repetitive or high-exertion tasks.
Results: Happier Workers and a Stronger Bottom Line
These are proven solutions with demonstrable results.
In one recent case study, a skilled nursing facility contracted with an injury prevention provider to identify the factors behind their high injury rates. With 70 injuries in only a four-year period, this small facility was struggling to balance its costs, which had grown to nearly $500,000 in the most recent year.
After conducting ergonomic reviews, the providers added new training programs, manual pain relief therapies, and light duty revisions to support workers coming back from an injury. Crucially, the team also provided training for leadership and safety managers to improve organizational buy-in for these new programs. This boosted accountability and transparency, making workers feel supported and safe in reporting problems.
After just six months, the facility reported savings of $125,000 (an ROI of 730%), with all participants reporting significantly improved morale.
In another case, a national manufacturer of mattresses and bedding materials faced high injury rates and costs at 15 of their facilities. The organization reported average per-claim costs of about $57,000.
Over three years, the company implemented hands-on pain relief therapies, mobility and strength conditioning, technique training, and supplementary services aimed at boosting the mental health and morale of their work force. Cost savings after the third year eclipsed $3 million, with 97% of the 1,500 participants reporting improved morale on the job thanks to the programs.
Understanding the Links Between Ergonomics and Mental Health Can Improve Outcomes in Both Areas
Real-world results show that the positive effects of ergonomics programs also have measurable effects on mental health factors.
This should come as no surprise. By now, we should all be aware that reducing pain levels, managing fatigue, and improving company safety culture can boost mental health indicators. With these results, employers are virtually guaranteed to see lower costs and a healthier budget as worker productivity, engagement, and safety outcomes improve.
The tools are already out there. It’s up to safety leaders to learn about them and begin the transformation in their own organizations.
Ready to learn more? Check out our free webinar, Stopping the Stigma: Best Practices for Addressing Mental Illness and Workplace Safety!
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