Ss71-01 Mental Health: A Global Overview

Abstract Introduction Modern work-life challenges affect workers’ mental health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2019, one in eight people in the world suffered from a mental disorder: equivalent to 970 million people. The most common were anxiety and depressive disorders spread all over the world. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the problem became more visible. Some authors even called them the ‘emerging pandemic’. Materials and Methods Only a few nations have regulations on mental health issues and a few include mental and behavioural consequences on their occupational diseases list. The International Labour Organization (ILO) only covers two mental and behavioural disorders, such as stress post-traumatic disorder and other disorders on their occupational diseases list, revised in 2010. Results Colombia has six diseases on its list and has an important role on regulations on prevention and health monitoring private and public in sector, the processes of occupational disease qualification derived from this exposure is increasing, which represents a challenge, where the enterprises will play an important role in prevention and early diagnosis. Conclusions Occupational safety and health professionals play an important role in increasing awareness, early detection of mental health symptoms, and referral to the proper specialist for a proper diagnosis, treatment and re-insertion into the workplace. The main challenges regarding mental health issues are objective tests to make the proper diagnosis, lack of well-trained mental health professionals, lack of regulations, and the non-occupational sources that are part of the root causes of mental health issue, making these diseases (as many) multifactorial entities.