"Each work team should have its own emotional well-being plan."

“I wouldn’t use the concept of ‘decent’ to define what constitutes a healthy job. In any case, there are several factors that can indicate a healthy and productive professional environment where individuals feel they are developing their professional lives appropriately. This feeling implies motivation, a connection to reality, and a sense of doing work that has meaning for the community. This sense of satisfaction is, of course, more evident in jobs where we interact with other people.”

These factors are very diverse, ranging from receiving adequate remuneration to working as part of a team in a respectful organization that values the quality of relationships or spaces, for example, beyond professional qualities.

"The subjective component of how we perceive our well-being at work is essential, even though it sometimes makes those of us who manage people in the workplace uncomfortable. We always want to have everything measured to understand what's working, what isn't, or what's needed, but in terms of physical and emotional health, this subjectivity is key: things aren't how they are, but how we feel about them . Many variables influence personal perceptions."

Organizations seek to influence this subjective factor to ensure positive employee experiences, but some aspects are difficult to control, such as individual personality structure, for example.

“I think the perception of what work means is changing, especially among younger generations. We have different generations coexisting with slightly different perceptions of work. The Baby Boomer generation and a good part of Generation X, for example, think that going to work is something they have to do, not because it's necessarily what they want. The idea persists that you have to go to work because there's no other choice, because it's the way to provide for your basic needs. On the other hand, we have younger generations who, when they feel good at work, enjoy it and are very engaged, but they are also able to set boundaries and prioritize the personal side of their lives. This shift in perspective on work is something organizations need to take into account. In theory, they are now more receptive and prepared to listen, so someone who feels unhappy shouldn't have any trouble approaching the human resources department to raise organizational issues or situations of dissatisfaction.”

How generational diversity affects emotional well-being at work

Ir al artículo

"The Occupational Risk Prevention Act was passed in 1995, and since then, there has been clear progress in this area. There is greater awareness, and organizations have been adapting, more so in some sectors than others. In the healthcare sector, for example, there has been significant progress, and measures have been taken, such as providing specific spaces for breaks, improving ergonomics, and addressing psychosocial risks. There is still much to be done, but there has been progress."

"If we are not satisfied with our professions or our work, it affects both productivity and relationships, both within the organization and in our immediate environment. Everything is connected, and what happens in our workplace affects our personal lives, and vice versa."

Speaking of healthcare organizations, one of my constant priorities is to convey to human resources departments and every healthcare professional the importance of nurturing relationships, of caring for one another . Caring for our colleagues and interdisciplinary teams increases the likelihood that they will care for us in return. We're talking about mirror neurons, which activate empathy towards others. When you contribute to a well-functioning environment, the environment responds in kind.

Globally, it is estimated that 12 billion workdays are lost each year due to depression and anxiety, at a cost of $1 trillion per year in lost productivity. But beyond the figures, there are relational consequences that we must be very aware of precisely so that we can address them.

Work, a key space for promoting mental health

Read more

"Not always. Sometimes we have a somewhat passive or reactive attitude, that is, waiting for the organization to tell us what to do or reacting to specific situations. There needs to be a proactive attitude in the workplace , a desire to feel good and to promote positive relationships with other employees and management."

I know it may sound unscientific, but for me it's essential, especially in a world where positions are sometimes antagonistic: with me or against me. We must break down these barriers and come closer together.

"From a formal standpoint, we have a law that establishes the need to maintain safe and healthy workspaces so that employees can perform their duties effectively. However, beyond what the law stipulates, I believe that every organization, and even every team or department, should have its own annual emotional well-being plan that can be reviewed each year. I think it's essential to focus on this at the micro level , at the basic team level, very close to the people involved, and regardless of the specific sensitivities of each organization."

In this way, the individual is involved because it's not something that's entirely the company's responsibility, which is simply to provide positive working conditions. With this micro-level approach, it's the individual who also has to provide themselves, others, and the organization itself with appropriate measures to do the job well, be productive, and enjoy the work. It might sound like poetry, but I think it's important and possible; we just need to examine everyone's perspective.

Thermometer of the employment situation in the health sector

"The Galatea Foundation has been addressing the mental health of healthcare professionals for 25 years. In the first 20 years, that is, just before the pandemic, we had assisted 5,600 healthcare professionals. In the last three years, we have doubled this number . I think this speaks volumes about the situation. It's understandable, on the other hand. The pandemic has had a very strong impact on professionals, but it has also raised awareness of the vulnerability of these professions."

One third of the medical profession considers itself to have poor mental health

Read more

We cannot forget a crucial point: healthcare professionals have not been trained to care for themselves, but to care for others. Generally speaking, healthcare professionals have not integrated the concept of self-care, and therefore, we start from a deficit that became evident during the pandemic. Another positive development is that the stigma surrounding mental health problems among healthcare professionals has been somewhat broken , precisely because of this greater recognition of their vulnerability and a greater willingness to seek help. It is also important to consider that the healthcare sector, like the social sector, is highly feminized, and women, when they experience emotional distress, seek help sooner and more readily. Men find it considerably more difficult.

This entire situation has led to the implementation of numerous initiatives and programs at all levels, including new lines of support such as interventions within teams and organizations . In other words, in addition to providing individual support to healthcare professionals both at the Galatea Clinic and through the emotional support service, we have launched a comprehensive program aimed at teams. Let's not forget that, throughout the pandemic, decisions had to be made within teams and organizations in a very rushed and poorly coordinated manner, which has generated divisions and conflicts among colleagues and within teams that we must try to address.

"The first reason for consultation at the Galatea Foundation is related to problems arising from workload, hours, organizational problems or the lack of recognition that these professionals often receive.

I would like to highlight three variables that are especially important when we talk about this malaise and that indicate where we need to focus our attention: women, young people, and those who work in primary care .

"If we think that the health of healthcare professionals is solely related to the professionals themselves, we are mistaken. We know that one of the factors that triggers good or bad health is the organization itself . In this case, healthcare organizations are historically very complex and hierarchically structured in a certain way, aspects that do not help working conditions."

Healthcare organizations should conduct a thorough analysis of what changes they need to make to benefit the health of their professionals. In my view, the pandemic taught us a valuable lesson: to do things differently to achieve different results, but I have the general feeling that we've somewhat forgotten this. Some organizations, both public and private, are already doing things differently, but my impression is that this isn't a widespread trend in the healthcare sector.

On the other hand, I believe that if the system itself generates discomfort, it should provide professionals with the resources to take care of themselves. Several aspects converge, then: the organization's own conditions (workload, quality, and work organization), and the responsibility that professionals must have for their own self-care.

Malpractice has repercussions at the public health level, and this means that professionals must take care of themselves to do their jobs well. Therefore, an update on competency aspects is needed, but also an understanding of one's own condition and what one needs or can do.

"There are basically four clear spheres. On the one hand, there is the individual . A good healthcare professional must be aware that they need to take care of themselves. It is not enough to know a lot about cardiology, for example, but they must understand the importance of taking care of themselves from an emotional point of view, the impact of the work they do, and the importance of communication with the people they treat and their families."

Secondly, the organization , which must be healthy, clear and facilitative so that these professionals can perform their profession well.

One third of the medical profession considers itself to have poor mental health

Read more

Thirdly, teamwork is a particularly important factor. Interdisciplinary teams are like families: when they function well, they provide a great deal of protection, but when they don't, they can be very destructive. Therefore, the team must be a healthy and productive environment.

There is a fourth factor, which we have seen in the second survey "Repercussions of COVID-19 on the health and practice of the medical profession in Spain" (Galatea Foundation, Foundation for the social protection of the Medical Association and Mutual Medical Foundation), which has to do with the prestige of the profession , that is, how health professions are viewed by society itself.