Every workplace should offer staff yoga classes to help with mental health, WHO says

Yoga should be offered by every workplace, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.

Both yoga and stress management courses could reduce mental illness in the workplace, while managers should also undergo mental health training to enable them to help their employees, according to global health leaders.

The WHO, along with the International Labour Organization (ILO), has set out new policy documents on what can be done to help improve mental health in the workplace.

Its recommendations included training managers to support their workers' mental health by preventing stressful work environments and responding to workers in distress.

Improving employee awareness of mental health issues and interventions "that aim to build workers' skills in stress management" - which could include mindfulness training - was also suggested.

Leisure-based activity

The WHO suggested opportunities in the workplace for "leisure-based physical activity" which could include resistance training, strength training, walking or yoga - and if these can't be conducted in a work setting then companies should "facilitate external opportunities" for workers to take part.

Organisations were also told to examine employee workloads as "high workload increases the risk of symptoms of mental-health conditions".

For workers in "emotional distress, psychosocial interventions such as those based on mindfulness or cognitive behavioural approaches, or problem solving training, may be considered in order to reduce these symptoms and improve work effectiveness", said the document, which highlighted risks to employee mental health, including bullying and psychological violence - also known as "mobbing".

The WHO said that around one in seven adults of working age has a mental health disorder.

Estimates suggest that 12 billion "working days" are lost every year around the world due to depression and anxiety among workers.

£1 trillion lost to depression

An estimated £1 trillion is lost every year from the global economy due to depression and anxiety, largely from lost productivity.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of WHO, said: "It's time to focus on the detrimental effect work can have on our mental health.

"The wellbeing of the individual is reason enough to act, but poor mental health can also have a debilitating impact on a person's performance and productivity.

"These new guidelines can help prevent negative work situations and cultures and offer much-needed mental health protection and support for working people."

Guy Ryder, director-general of the ILO, added: "As people spend a large proportion of their lives in work - a safe and healthy working environment is critical."