Work-Related Mental Health Risks and Policy Gaps in Europe
1
Department of Social Work, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Ηράκλειο, Greece
2
Section Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, European Public Health Association (EUPHA), Utrecht, Netherlands
3
European Association for Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion (EuroSafe), Amsterdam, Netherlands
4
School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
5
Department of Health Services Research, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
6
Department of Economics, University of Piraeus, Piraeus, Greece
7
Faculty of Health Sciences, Klaipeda University, Klaipeda, Lithuania
8
Laboratory of Health and Society, Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Rethymno, Greece
9
WONCA Working Party on Mental Health, WONCA Europe, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A3782
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Work-related mental ill-health and psychosocial risks constitute a major occupational crisis in Europe. The EU-OSHA(1) revealed 45.1% of workers aged 15-64 experience workplace factors harming mental wellbeing, with 29% reporting work-aggravated stress, depression, or anxiety. Key psychosocial risks include excessive workload (19.9%), difficult clients (10.2%), job insecurity (5.8%), poor communication (4%), bullying (2.1%), and low autonomy (1.3%). Occupational stress increases cerebrovascular disease and stroke risk, causing eating and sleep disorders, while work-family conflict and limited social support intensify stress levels. Healthcare workers show 28-32% depressive symptoms and 24% anxiety(2), disproportionately affecting women (31%), ages 25-39 (32%), and human services sectors. COVID-19 magnified long-standing stressors, with material deprivation exacerbating vulnerabilities(3). Despite ICD-11 advances, burnout remains classified as "occupational phenomenon" (QD85) rather than a disease(4); mental health surveillance is fragmented, and only 43% of workplaces assess digital psychosocial risks.
METHODS:
Synthesis of epidemiological data from EU-OSHA OSH Pulse(2025), ESENER(2024), EU-LFS(2020), WHO MeND(2024), Eurofound surveys, and European consensus reports, analyzing risk prevalence, socioeconomic costs, absenteeism patterns, and policy gaps through narrative review.
RESULTS:
Work-related mental ill-health costs Europe €44.7-103.1 billion annually, burdening public healthcare sustainability. Mental ill-health causes unplanned absences and sick leave; presenteeism costs exceed absenteeism. Barriers include stigma (30% construction workers hide illness), inadequate stress plans(39% workplaces), declining inspections (40% establishments), and insufficient digital risk assessments(43% despite widespread digitalization). Hazardous psychosocial factors including social isolation, financial pressures, work stress, increase cardiovascular disease risk, while positive mental health indicators (optimism, life satisfaction) reduce CV risk.
CONCLUSIONS:
Shift from reactive treatment to proactive prevention ensuring mental health equity and quality of life is necessary. Recognition of chronic stressors and mental health conditions as occupational diseases with ICD-11-aligned surveillance and interoperable data systems is critical. Mandatory anti-stigma training and worker participation mechanisms enhance mental health literacy, empower employee voice, reduce help-seeking barriers, and foster collective accountability.
Work-related mental ill-health and psychosocial risks constitute a major occupational crisis in Europe. The EU-OSHA(1) revealed 45.1% of workers aged 15-64 experience workplace factors harming mental wellbeing, with 29% reporting work-aggravated stress, depression, or anxiety. Key psychosocial risks include excessive workload (19.9%), difficult clients (10.2%), job insecurity (5.8%), poor communication (4%), bullying (2.1%), and low autonomy (1.3%). Occupational stress increases cerebrovascular disease and stroke risk, causing eating and sleep disorders, while work-family conflict and limited social support intensify stress levels. Healthcare workers show 28-32% depressive symptoms and 24% anxiety(2), disproportionately affecting women (31%), ages 25-39 (32%), and human services sectors. COVID-19 magnified long-standing stressors, with material deprivation exacerbating vulnerabilities(3). Despite ICD-11 advances, burnout remains classified as "occupational phenomenon" (QD85) rather than a disease(4); mental health surveillance is fragmented, and only 43% of workplaces assess digital psychosocial risks.
METHODS:
Synthesis of epidemiological data from EU-OSHA OSH Pulse(2025), ESENER(2024), EU-LFS(2020), WHO MeND(2024), Eurofound surveys, and European consensus reports, analyzing risk prevalence, socioeconomic costs, absenteeism patterns, and policy gaps through narrative review.
RESULTS:
Work-related mental ill-health costs Europe €44.7-103.1 billion annually, burdening public healthcare sustainability. Mental ill-health causes unplanned absences and sick leave; presenteeism costs exceed absenteeism. Barriers include stigma (30% construction workers hide illness), inadequate stress plans(39% workplaces), declining inspections (40% establishments), and insufficient digital risk assessments(43% despite widespread digitalization). Hazardous psychosocial factors including social isolation, financial pressures, work stress, increase cardiovascular disease risk, while positive mental health indicators (optimism, life satisfaction) reduce CV risk.
CONCLUSIONS:
Shift from reactive treatment to proactive prevention ensuring mental health equity and quality of life is necessary. Recognition of chronic stressors and mental health conditions as occupational diseases with ICD-11-aligned surveillance and interoperable data systems is critical. Mandatory anti-stigma training and worker participation mechanisms enhance mental health literacy, empower employee voice, reduce help-seeking barriers, and foster collective accountability.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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