The Public Ministry of Labor (MPT) and Unicamp joined forces to tackle one of the most recurring problems in the workplace: mental disorders. The kickoff of the project will be the holding of a seminar on the 24th and 25th of May, with experts from different areas of knowledge, to discuss issues involving mental suffering and the death of workers due to work-related suicide. Held in a hybrid format (in-person and virtual), the event will be broadcast on MPT Campinas' YouTube (programming at the end of the text).
Among the seminar participants are French sociologist Vincent de Gaulejac, known for his work as director of the Social Change Laboratory in Paris, and professor Ricardo Antunes, one of the main thinkers in the sociology of work in Brazil. Representatives from the University of São Paulo, Unicamp, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Reference Centers for Occupational Health (Cerest), Dieese, Department of Inter-Union Studies, Health and Work Environment Research, as well as worker representative bodies and trade unions.
One of the highlights of the event will be the “Experience Panel”, in which workers from different categories (oil workers, education, airline workers, platforms and police officers) will give testimony about the situations that lead employees to become mentally ill in the workplace. The seminar will also serve to improve the project.
How the project came about
The initiative derives from a promotional procedure, chaired by attorneys Mário Antônio Gomes and Fabíola Zani, with the direct participation of professors Márcia Bandini and Sérgio de Lucca, from the Department of Public Health at the Faculty of Medical Sciences at Unicamp, through an agreement signed between the institutions.
The project idea is based on statistics from the Ministry of Labor and Pensions. They show that, in 2020, more than 570 absences due to mental disorders were recorded in the country, a number 26% higher than that recorded in 2019. The group of 468 diseases listed by the agency includes disorders such as depression, anxiety, panic, post-traumatic stress, bipolar disorder and social phobia.
“Anyone who thinks that the pandemic was the biggest cause of work-related mental suffering is mistaken. The origins of this evil are complex and derive, among other things, from the way companies are managed. It can be said that in every company there is at least one case of work-related mental suffering. What makes the situation worse is the lack of recognition of this type of occupational disease, by the employer and even by the worker. These are problems that can grow silently and, if not properly taken care of, result in a final act of despair: suicide”, warns prosecutor Mário Antônio Gomes.
The problem worsened to such an extent that, in January 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially recognized Burnout Syndrome as a work-related illness. It is a mental disorder that results from professional exhaustion, from an exhausting work routine.
Axes
The project includes 3 axes with specific approaches: studies and research; policies and practices; training, education and qualification. In total, 23 actions are planned. The ultimate purpose is to contribute with suggestions for the improvement of the Unified Health System (SUS), in order to promote quality care for workers who suffer from mental disorders, from reception to treatment, but also to improve the notification rates of disorders acquired at work, generate training for health professionals and broad awareness in society, through scientific production.
According to Márcia Bandini, it is necessary to improve public policies aimed at workers' health, to achieve greater effectiveness in the prevention and treatment of cases. “Public policies exist as a reflection of organized society, but when reporting injuries there is a huge gap between what is suffered by the worker and what is recognized by the policies. Mental illness is not visible, but it needs to be treated,” she notes.
The first part of the project, already underway, foresees studies of the profile of accident benefits granted to people suffering from mental disorders, in addition to violent deaths by suicide in the Metropolitan Region of Campinas. The studies involve researchers from Unicamp, USP and other partner research bodies.
Practice
Care protocols will be developed for cases of attempted suicide in urgent and emergency services and for cases of mental disorders and suicide risks for professionals in the Primary Care network (health posts and units).
The project also proposes early intervention in potential cases of mental disorders, through an assessment of psychosocial risks at work, based on national and international experiences and good practices for employers, workers and health professionals. At the same time, MPT and Unicamp will discuss improvements to the flow of care and information in municipal health networks, including services such as CAPS, Primary Care, Urgency and Emergency and Cerests.
