via 43% of Zimbabwe’s workforce suffer from stress August 19, 2014
ZIMBABWEAN companies are losing over $100 million per annum in wages and productivity through mental health or stress-related absence from work, a new report has shown.
In a report, Distress and Other Mental Health Problems in the Zimbabwean Working Population, Industrial Psychological Consultants (IPC) said its survey was designed to find out the prevalence of distress and other mental health problems in the Zimbabwean workforce.
Some 707 employees responded to the survey.
The survey showed that 4 in 10 working Zimbabweans experience symptoms of distress representing over 43%.
The symptoms include difficulty in thinking clearly, feeling down and depressed, disturbed sleep, easily irritated, lack of energy, tense, easily becoming emotional, and no longer have interest in people and things. Other symptoms include feeling like you can’t do anything anymore and can’t face it anymore.
IPC said 27,3% of the working population was experiencing depression symptoms, namely feeling that things were meaningless, and they can’t see a way of escaping from their situation. The survey said those suffering from depression were feeling life as not worthwhile and better off if they were dead.
The results showed that 18,3% of the working population experience anxiety symptoms such as vague feelings of fear, “trembling when with others, panic attacks, feeling frightened and fear of going out of the house alone”.
“Based on these results our estimate is that companies are losing over $107,520,000 per year in wages and productivity through mental health or stress related absence from work,” IPC said.
It said the estimates were arrived at using current employment figures and a median wage of $560.
“This excludes cost of treating mental health related illness in the same employees. If all employees with mental health problems were seeking treatment the cost will be double what companies are losing.”
IPC said due to stigma a number of employees do not seek treatment for mental health instead they preferred traditional treatment methods. It said employers were focusing on physical health alone adding that they should also focus on mental health as problems correlate positively to accident frequency and productivity.
COMMENTS
but 90 % of zimbabweans are unemployed so how are these figures arrived at ?
43% of the 10%
You are spot Doc.
You are spot on Doc
Mental problems. This is what I have been saying
Love it!
43 percent of 10 percent means that about 6 percent are happy which probably equates to only the bosses looting the system and other big wigs related to zanupf. This 6 percent aren’t productive so we have a 100 percent non productive economy no wonder the economy is going backwards and no wonder there is no investment. The banana republic has turned into a rotten banana republic. As Ian Smith said he wasn’t racist just wanted a responsible government. How wrong did the liberal west get it when they forced Smith to capitulate. Anyway Mugabe has just said at sadc that he doesn’t want aid or investment as Zimbabweans can stand on their own two feet. Yeah right while he sells Zimbabwe to the Chinese bit by bit. It’s not his country as he is more Malawian than Zimbabwean . Talk about a confused stupid nation to let a foreigner sell their country from under their noses.
I would put the level of stressed people to 90%.Only Zanu PF-aligned thieves are stress-free.