Healthcare providers are known for serving their patients and improving their quality of life, but addressing the mental health issues of their own employees is often overlooked.
This can have a profound impact on both employees and the organization’s bottom line. As Omnia Health celebrates World Mental Health Day on October 10, we speak to Maham Rasheed, licensed clinical psychologist at Dubai Health Authority (DHA), Nabta Health, to understand how mental health neglect affects financial and operational costs in managing healthcare businesses in the UAE.
Rasheed explains that there is a lack of ongoing research on the impact of mental health in the UAE, but based on the results of COVID case studies, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) found that the Prevalence of mental health problems among Dubai’s working population was around 21 percent.
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Nabta Health recently conducted its own research to shed light on the subject. “Our findings revealed that failing to prioritize an employee’s mental health can have several negative consequences that hinder productivity and financial growth within healthcare companies. This creates a domino effect on financial management, operational efficiency, morale, job satisfaction, productivity, patient satisfaction, quality of care, and can lead employees to clinical malpractice,” says Rasheed .
Figures from the recent PwC Middle East report entitled “Why GCC governments should invest more in mental health pointed out that mental illness in the GCC region has resulted in the loss of at least 3.7 million productive working days per year, equivalent to a loss of business of Dh13 billion.
“For the GCC economy, this represents 48 billion dirhams per year. Additionally, a recent McKinsey survey indicated that two-thirds of respondents in the GCC reported symptoms of poor mental health and wellbeing or suffered from a mental health problem at least once in their lifetime . This is a staggering number of mental health issues in healthcare businesses,” says Rasheed.
To understand how healthcare businesses are affected, start with the employee. Chronic stress and anxiety can lead to sick leave and frequent medical visits, leading to increased healthcare costs and reduced productivity.
“It also means high turnover and, in some cases, legal costs. The World Health Organization found that in the Middle East, mental health disorders are the leading cause of disability and account for 60 percent of all healthcare costs, which are passed on from insurance companies to businesses,” explains the clinical psychologist.
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To overcome this challenge, mental health requires a holistic approach, says Rasheed. The first step is to introduce mental health programs that offer counseling workshops and resources to help employees effectively manage stress, anxiety and other mental health issues. Secondly, to overcome the stigma associated with mental health, it is important to educate and encourage staff to speak up and seek help without fear of being judged.
Workplace flexibility is also an important element. It offers struggling employees the opportunity to prioritize their well-being.
“Finally, organizations should train managers and staff to recognize the signs of mental health problems. Employee assistance programs should also be implemented. This should include support services to ensure employees have access to professional assistance when facing mental health issues,” she concludes.
Stigma regarding mental health
Dr Mohammed Yousef, specialist psychiatrist has Aster Clinic, Muteena
Stigma affects health professionals’ desire to seek help or address mental health issues, which can lead to over-reliance on self-medication and low peer support. Initial reluctance to seek help can also lead to lower productivity and affect individual health.
In healthcare settings, manifestations of stigma are widely documented, ranging from outright refusal of care to provision of substandard care. The seven types of stigma are public, personal, perceived, etiquette, structural, health prevention and associative. To prevent stigma among health care workers, leaders must know the facts, educate themselves and others about mental illness, focus on the positives, and provide necessary support.
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