Mental Health in a Digital World of Work

Over the course of the last few decades, innovations brought about by advances in technology have significantly reshaped labor practices all over the world. The disruptive digital landscape has become the impetus for novel digitization, substantially supplanting traditional digital tools with modern interventions and thus affecting mental health.

In recent years, the modern technological revolution of the twenty-first century has developed promising digital capabilities to cover the personal and professional lives of humans, which may bring about positive health outcomes.

The phenomenon known as digitalization is relatively new and has significantly elevated the application of information technology across a variety of fields. There has been substantial interest in its potential applications in the medical field.

Even though the healthcare industry is a highly competitive field in which employees are exposed to an array of psychological challenges, the mental health of frontline workers has not received adequate attention in recent years. This is even though frontline workers are the ones who interact directly with patients.

Research indicates that because psychological problems in the healthcare industry are increasing at an alarming rate, it is absolutely necessary to concentrate on the detrimental effect of these problems on employees’ overall mental health.

Researchers are increasingly focusing their attention on the relationship between mental health and technology. Some of these researchers have pointed to the possibility that the application of technology could significantly improve the mental health of workers.

Unfortunately, the value of digital capabilities has not yet been realized in the healthcare industry, even though it has been demonstrated in recent years that the adoption of technology has been shown to bring promising health outcomes in many fields.

According to one study, the emerging role of digitalization in the healthcare sector is vital, which highlights the necessity to recognize and understand the association between the capabilities of information technology and the psychological wellness of employees.

A new problem regarding mental health

Within the context of the digital economy, an undetected crisis of well-being is currently on the rise. It is a crisis on a scale that has never been seen before, and it is directly connected to the growing precariousness and instability of the labor market as well as the increasing digitization of the world economy.

According to Eurofound, in 2017, 20% of jobs across Europe were considered to be of “poor quality,” putting the workers’ physical and mental health in jeopardy. They are not the only ones noticing this trend.

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), identified the biggest risks associated with poor mental health are financial uncertainty and labor insecurity. OECD also notes that investments in quality jobs and long-term contracts are essential to guaranteeing good mental health.

The recent spike in inflation seen across the globe, as well as the subsequent increase in the cost of living as a direct result of inflation, has led to a reduction in the purchasing power of entire populations. This, in turn, increases the necessity to invest in decent jobs to stop the spread of psychosocial risks that lead to mental illnesses.

The pervasiveness of digitalization has stoked the flames of controversy. The advent of new technologies, automation, and artificial intelligence (AI) systems are not only reshaping our personal lives but also the very nature of work and the way it is organized, which has severe repercussions for the mental health of workers.

Because of digitalization, psychosocial risks in the workplace have increased, which can harm an individual’s mental health. These risks include mass surveillance, a lack of clarity and transparency in professional relations, isolation, hyper-connectivity, an increase in working hours, and the violation of privacy rights in other ways.

We need to make sure that the term digitalization becomes synonymous with terms like optimization and progress rather than terms like onerous demands and precariousness if we want to prevent abuse and a rise in illness caused by conditions like anxiety, depression, or burnout.

Algorithms based on chance

Many times, the condition of one’s work is connected to an algorithm. For example, consider when we use a mobile app to place orders for food delivery. The person who makes the delivery rides up on a bicycle. This is an example of platform work: the customer receives their order and then rates the service provided by the driver. This may seem insignificant, however, there are effects.

The worker, who may falsely declare themselves to be self-employed, does not have insurance and does not have the right to receive future social benefits. The working conditions for him or her are determined by an algorithm, which regulates the work that he or she does.

The economy based on digital platforms is a model of business that is becoming more widespread, and it exemplifies the necessity of regulating digitalization and AI systems in the workplace to protect workers and ensure decent health and safety standards.

It should be required by law that digital algorithms be used ethically and transparently, with human supervision guaranteed, to prevent decisions from being made that are arbitrary or discriminatory.

Over the past few years, additional measures have been gradually adopted in some places, although they are not mandatory. For example, the problems that are affecting people’s mental health are mentioned in the new strategic framework for health and security (2021-27); however, there are no legally binding measures that are established to resolve these issues.

Fresh directives concerning mental health

In July, for the very first time, the European Parliament adopted a resolution that included numerous calls on the European Commission to launch new directives. This historic event took place in Europe.

The most far-reaching objective was a call for the regulation of the application of artificial intelligence in the workplace. This is because algorithms and other forms of AI can be intrusive if they are not managed appropriately.

Legislation for the prevention of psychosocial risk, regulation of telework, and recognition of mental health disorders as occupational illnesses, to guarantee adequate compensation, were also key elements included in the report.

These elements were included with the purpose of protecting workers’ mental health in an increasingly digitalized world of work and ensuring their reintegration into the labor market after an illness.

Many people who have suffered from a mental illness brought on by their work have difficulty reintegrating. This results in increased costs for social-security systems, higher rates of long-term unemployment, and an increased risk of social exclusion as well as medium-to-long-term poverty.

The treatment of mental illness has traditionally been given less priority than other health concerns. Mental disorders that are connected to work have been on the rise, and despite being unnoticed, they have an impact not only on the health of workers but also on the health of society as a whole. It is estimated that mental illness accounts for more than four percent of the gross domestic product in the European Union.

Of this percentage, one-point six percent, or 240 billion euros annually, is attributable to indirect costs in the labor market such as absenteeism and presenteeism (working while ill). According to the data, work-related stress accounts for more than half of the working days that are missed in the EU.

Conclusion

Technology has always been a two-edged sword with both risks and advantages. As a practicing psychiatrist, I rely on technology more and more in my work. I frequently suggest appropriate smartphone-based applications to my patients as supplemental therapy and use next-generation electronic medical records.

Finding resources that help people understand the impact of digital advances in the workplace is an important step in making things better. Even more significant, however, is awareness. Talk to a counselor today about the impact digital progress has on your work experience. A trained professional can help you navigate the healthiest way to approach your work for your mental well-being.