Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC) highlights that mental health issues are affecting workers, primarily due to workloads exceeding their capacity. The findings were announced by RBC on the International Mental Health Day
RBC’s research shows that 30% of employees miss work without reason, with 63% of those absences linked to mental health issues, although many are afraid to speak about it.
Additionally, 24% of these workers have considered suicide, a figure that rises to 32% in organizations with over 100 employees.
This was highlighted on October 10, 2024, during the International Mental Health Day celebration, which had the theme: “Mental Health in the Workplace.”
Dr. Iyamuremye Jean Damascene, the Director of Psychiatric Care emphasizes the importance of valuing mental health, stating that everything is rooted in the mind. He said, “Let’s value mental health because everything starts in the mind.”
He noted that work can be beneficial as it prevents mental health issues, but when work disregards health, it leads to mental health problems.
He explained, “The issues employees commonly face at work include stress, which negatively impacts their mental health. Another concern is the increased working hours and workload that contribute to mental health issues.”
Dr. Iyamuremye continued, stating that mental health problems often stem from employees being assigned work beyond their capacity, sometimes without recognition and with pay that doesn’t match their efforts.
He advised employers to pay attention to their employees’ health, not only focusing on work but also considering their overall mental well-being. He highlighted the importance of ensuring employees receive appropriate resources for their work and taking breaks when necessary.
In 2022, 60% of people globally were employed, and among those, 15% reached working age with mental health issues.
In 2019, 280 million people suffered from severe depression, with 703,000 of them committing suicide. During that year, 15% of those employed faced mental health challenges.
