CURRENT POLICY

As it stands, existing mental health policies are concerned primarily with providing for those individuals who have been clinically diagnosed with a mental illness and who are in need of care. In Ireland, the Mental Health Act established in 2001 governs issues relating to mental health. This act, which also established the mental health commission to regulate the standards and provision of care in the mental health service, outlines the procedures for admission, detention and treatment of those with a mental disorder in a mental health care facility. In the 2006 report of the expert group on mental health policy, the authors implicated the “qualitative” changes in Irish society in recent decades as important factors influencing the way in which mental health care is delivered. They described contemporary Irish society as “more rushed”, “less caring” and “more materialistic” (p. 53). These lifestyle factors can impact negatively on our psychological health and well being, creating a challenge for policy makers concerned with the provision of appropriate mental health care.

Policies outlining procedures for health and safety in the workplace have tended to focus on physical risks and hazards to the exclusion of psychosocial risks that can interfere with one’s experience of positive mental health. It is only in recent times that the importance of planning for and promoting positive mental health in the workplace has begun to come to the fore. The European Pact for mental health and well-being is an important development in this regard. As referred to above, the document outlines the critical importance of mental health and well being for the realisation of social cohesion, economic development and the sustainability of communities. In the document it is proposed that each EU member state contribute to the

promotion of positive mental health, the prevention of poor mental health and the provision of support and services for those affected by a mental illness. This aim is also evident in the aforementioned report of the expert group on mental health policy in Ireland. The report emphasises the importance of mental health promotion and highlights a number of important points; all individuals have mental health needs, mental health promotion should be available to all age groups to enhance protective factors and decrease the risk factors for developing mental health problems, and mental health promotion programs that target the whole community are of benefit to both those individuals diagnosed with a mental illness and those who are not. The promotion of mental health then constitutes a fundamental element of the recommendations of this report on the provision of mental health care in Ireland in the ten year period from the year 2006 onwards.

CONCLUSION

In light of current economic circumstances, this paper has focused largely on the issue of workplace stress and anxiety and their economic and humanitarian impact. The psychosocial phenomena discussed in this paper, namely stress, anxiety and social support, are well understood and well researched. Social science research in the domain of stress and anxiety related mental health has the potential to inform policy in the areas of employment law, occupational health and safety, and health promotion. It is frequently the case that efforts to improve work place performance are aimed at reducing absenteeism and increasing employee productivity. Employers and policy makers should seek to increase the quality of life of individuals and in doing so will enhance the economic benefit of people being healthier. The benefits to society of promoting and improving mental well being extend beyond the workplace and can be translated into numerous economic benefits, the most obvious of these being a reduction in social welfare payments to those unable to work due to stress related mental and physical illness and a decline in the cost of health care provision. In humanitarian terms, greater attention to the mental health needs of the individuals in our society will foster a population that is fulfilled, productive and content.

The sustainability of our communities is very much dependent on the physical and psychological health of the people in those communities. An individual’s capacity to work, interact with others and reach their potential is affected by their mental health status. Campaigns aimed at healthy living frequently promote ways of maintaining and improving physical health. We are frequently presented with messages encouraging us to eat a healthy diet, engage in regular exercise, quit smoking, reduce our alcohol intake etc. Greater awareness needs to be generated as to the importance of caring for one’s mental well-being. In addition, the means by which we can do so need to be clearly expressed. Effective policies are best achieved by adopting a multidisciplinary perspective. Those conducting research in the area of psychology can advise policy makers as to the potential impact of particular policies on the mental health of the population and can help in designing policies and approaches that protect, promote and improve the well-being of individuals in all aspects of their lives; in schools, the workplace, the community etc. At a time when much attention is focused on the concepts of ‘smart economy’, ‘knowledge based economy’ and ‘innovation, it is crucial that we are mindful of the fact that underlying the achievement of such is a population that is both physically and mentally healthy and thus capable of contributing to those activities that will make economic prosperity a reality.

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RESEARCH AND POLICY ON PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS IN