SA ranks high in mental health, says global survey
This means the country has one of the highest numbers of people who are in distress.
Depression psychology sad emotions. Picture: pixabay.com
CAPE TOWN - According to the Mental State of the World Report, South Africa ranks 69 out of 71 countries in terms of mental health.
This means the country has one of the highest numbers of people who are in distress.
Sune Van Niekerk is a human resources expert and said there needs to be more focus on mental health, especially in the workplace.
READ: Workplace plays key role in mental health, says SA Society of Psychiatrists
"There's definitely still a stigma that we only perceive mental health or something being a mental health issue when we hear the words such as maybe depression or bipolar or schizophrenia or whatever it may be but it’s important to know that mental health is much broader than that."
Van Niekerk suggests the first step to improve mental health in the workplace is to start talking about it.
"I think a starting point for that will definitely be communication so encouraging feedback and creating clear communication channels, we really have to open up communication in order to understand what issues a specific workplace is undergoing," said van Niekerk.