Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Join
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Join
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Mental health conditionsOccupational Health

Mental health disorders account for half of OH doctor referrals

by Nic Paton 29 Jan 2015
by Nic Paton 29 Jan 2015

Mental health disorders now account for more than half of all cases reported by occupational physicians, making them the most common work-related ill health problem, the Society of Occupational Medicine’s journal Occupational Medicine has said.

Researchers, led by a team at Manchester University, studied data across three surveillance schemes between 2005 and 2012. It is the first time that a study has investigated the incidence of work-related ill health and compared detailed data across Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Musculoskeletal disorders were the second most frequently reported across all three regions. The study also found that asbestos occupational respiratory disease was more common in Great Britain and Northern Ireland than in the Republic of Ireland. This is likely to be because of the more prominent historical use of asbestos in the UK, it concluded.

As a result of this research, in January the society urged employers to do more to tackle mental health problems and invest in workplace health.

Dr Alasdair Emslie, the society president, said: “The workplace is the ideal environment to cost-effectively address a variety of health problems, including supporting those with mental health problems. Early recognition of the signs of stress, anxiety and depression is the crucial first step in dealing with such problems and preventing them from becoming more serious.

“Occupational health specialists have the ability to improve the health of thousands of workers by bringing in policies and wellbeing programmes – a general practitioner can affect a tiny proportion of this number by seeing them one to one for a few minutes each year,” he added.

Nic Paton
Nic Paton

Nic Paton is consulting editor of OHW+. One of the country's foremost workplace health journalists, Nic has written for OHW+ and Occupational Health & Wellbeing since 2001, and edited the magazine from 2018.

previous post
WFH and HR: managing remote working effectively
next post
Case shows risk of transferee liability for harassment occurring before TUPE transfers

1 comment

Avatar
Dave C 6 Feb 2015 - 3:23 pm

Unfortunately, there seems to be little evidence that OH Services have the capacity to do much to improve mental well-being at work. Their services seem to be reactive – coming in after problems have occurred, rather than preventative, working in conjunction with employers to improve things at a strategic and factory floor level. Employers don’t seem very interested in investing in health prevention anymore, it’s returned to the days of “go see OH to see how quickly we can get you back, or get you out”.

Comments are closed.

You may also like

Record prostate cancer screenings post-pandemic

24 May 2022

Signs of severe eating disorders often missed, warns...

23 May 2022

GPs call for new OH service to relieve...

23 May 2022

Occupational health key to helping employers manage long...

23 May 2022

Three in 10 say physical health has worsened...

20 May 2022

Obesity prevalence projections show 36% will be obese...

20 May 2022

NHS pressures leaving thousands waiting for cancer diagnosis

17 May 2022

Long NHS waits meaning many with long Covid...

17 May 2022

Grants scheme set up to support women’s health...

16 May 2022

Crumbling school buildings ‘risk to life’ suggests leak

16 May 2022

  • The importance of being an ethical leader and how to become one PROMOTED | What is ethical leadership?...Read more
  • RPO Report: 2022, The Year to Outsource PROMOTED | Employers should be overwhelmed with choice...Read more
  • Report: Enabling organisational agility through talent & people success PROMOTED | Work has been challenged...Read more
  • Employee Trends 2022 report PROMOTED | Edenred research on employees analysed the key employees’ trends for 2022...Read more
  • How finance apprenticeships can boost business PROMOTED | As the world’s most forward-thinking professional accountancy body...Read more
  • Paul Devoy: Showing appreciation to the Investors in People community PROMOTED | Ask most people what comes to mind when you mention Investors in People...Read more
  • White paper: How digitalisation can support evolving occupational health PROMOTED | Download this free white paper to discover how digitalisation can help occupational health meet emerging challenges...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Join
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today