Occupational health challenges require more than individual support, new doctoral study shows
Mental health issues are now the most prevalent cause of sick leave in Finland. It is common for an employee's declining occupational well-being to result in a sick leave referral, while nothing changes at the workplace itself.
A recent doctoral study indicates that occupational health challenges require more than just individual support. Mental health issues now constitute the leading cause of sick leave in Finland, with employees often experiencing recurring symptoms due to unchanged workplace practices. Pinja Ryky, a doctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki, advocates for collective methods to address occupational well-being concerns.
Her research examined managerial training aimed at promoting well-being, mindfulness, and awareness of one's own mental state. However, the study found that such training often overlooks the organization's role in managing employee well-being. The trial of a new approach, where managers and instructors jointly explored long-term occupational well-being within the context of management systems, revealed that participants still focused on individual traits rather than addressing organizational factors.
Ryky suggests that managers should be trained to recognize when employees need individual support versus when changes in organizational practices are necessary. Collective action, such as identifying stressors and addressing them together, could alleviate managerial isolation and reduce the recurrence of occupational health issues.
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