Project description
Healthy workplaces for small businesses
Employers across Europe are setting up activities to promote mental health and prevent mental illness, whose incidence rates have increased during the past decade. The ensuing high cost of sick leave and short-term absenteeism and the growing recognition of the relationship between human capital and resources and business outcomes have made this a priority. The EU-funded MINDUP project will develop a comprehensive, multilevel intervention targeting clinical (depression and anxiety disorders) and non-clinical mental health issues (burnout, stress, depressive symptoms). Its aim is to improve mental health and wellbeing in the workplace and to reduce depression and suicidal behaviour. The project will specifically target small workplaces as SMEs comprise 90 % of all EU businesses but have a limited capacity to support their employees’ wellbeing and mental health.
Objective
Depression and anxiety are the most prevalent mental health difficulties in the workplace in the EU, causing immense suffering and costing the global economy €1 trillion each year in lost productivity. Certain sectors, in particular construction, health and ICT, have an elevated risk of mental health difficulties, with those working in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) being particularly vulnerable. However, most SMEs have limited capacity to address mental health promotion and provide mental health interventions to staff. As SMEs comprise more than 90% of all EU businesses, there is a huge potential to influence population health.
MENTUPP aims to improve mental health and wellbeing in the workplace by developing, implementing and evaluating a comprehensive, multilevel intervention targeting both clinical (depressive, anxiety disorders) and non-clinical (stress, burnout, wellbeing, depressive symptoms) mental health issues, as well as combating the stigma of mental (ill-) health. The intervention will be tailored for SMEs in construction, healthcare and ICT and assessed in a multi-country Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial. The primary aim is to improve mental health in the workplace, with a secondary aim to reduce depression and suicidal behaviour.
MENTUPP will be conducted by an interdisciplinary consortium that includes world leading experts in mental health in occupational settings, depression, anxiety, stress, suicide prevention and stigma. It builds on a solid foundation of evidence, in particular leveraging partner European Alliance Against Depression’s four-level intervention to improve mental health and reduce suicide risk and partner Mates in Construction’s successful workplace intervention to reduce suicide in construction workers. Long-lasting impact is also a key priority of the project, with activities dedicated to the development of replication materials to support long-term use of the MENTUPP intervention in SMEs across Europe.
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RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
T12 YN60 Cork
Ireland
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Participants (19)
04109 Leipzig
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
04109 Leipzig
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3000 Leuven
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2100 Kobenhavn
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00271 Helsinki
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FK9 4LA Stirling
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1085 Budapest
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3521 VS Utrecht
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1001 Tirana
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Participation ended
20000 PRIZREN
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WC1E 7HT London
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08003 Barcelona
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T12 Cork
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20015 Washington Dc
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A94 K542 Blackrock
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
4111 Brisbane
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4004 Spring Hill
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20000 PRIZREN
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TW1 4SX Twickenham
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