Open Access Review

Partaking in the global movement for occupational mental health: what challenges and ways forward for sub-Sahara Africa?

Olayinka Atilola

Author Affiliations

Department of Psychiatry, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria

International Journal of Mental Health Systems 2012, 6:15 doi:10.1186/1752-4458-6-15

Published: 8 September 2012

Abstract

There is an ongoing global movement for the entrenchment of occupational mental health as an integral part of occupational health and safety schemes. Aside from being a fundamental human right issue, this move has been demonstrated to be of cost-benefit in terms of workplace productivity and general economic growth. Despite being among the regions most prone to the human and economic repercussions of work-related mental health problems by reason of her socio-economic circumstance; sub-Sahara Africa is yet to fully plug into this movement. With a view to make recommendations on the ways forward for sub-Sahara Africa, this paper examines the current state of and the barriers to effective occupational mental health policy and practice in the region.