Ivy Bourgeault, University of Ottawa – The Mental Well-Being of Professional Workers

The Academic Minute

The mental wellbeing of those with “good jobs” can still suffer.

Ivy Bourgeault, professor in the school of sociological and anthropological studies at the University of Ottawa, determines what can be done.

Dr. Ivy Bourgeault is a Professor in the School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies at the University of Ottawa and the University Research Chair in Gender, Diversity and the Professions. She has garnered an international reputation for her research on the health workforce, particularly from a gender lens, with a recent focus on the psychological health and safety of professional work.

The Mental Well-Being of Professional Workers

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Getting into a profession is a highly coveted achievement. It’s what every parent encourages of their children, because these are considered the ‘good jobs.’ Yet, the stressful and demanding nature of their work takes a toll on their mental health.

Research we conducted in Canada reveals that there are high levels of work stress and workloads among professional workers, particularly during the pandemic. Women in the professions report significantly higher rates of work stress as well as life stress, related to the time pressures they experience and caring for children.

We also found that stigma surrounding the disclosure of mental health among professional workers prevents many from taking a leave of absence to address these concerns.

Take health professions for example. Health professional workers report higher levels of stress, burnout, anxiety, depression and substance use than the general public. As a result, health professionals have higher rates of absenteeism due to illness and injury than those in other occupations.

Factors that encouraged health professionals to take a mental health leave included having supportive colleagues, supervisors and family. Support from colleagues and supervisors, as well as supportive workplace policies, programs and services and workplace accommodations, were also cited as factors making it easier for health professionals to return after taking a leave.

Overall, our study results underscore the need to recognize and de-stigmatize the mental health issues experienced by professional workers, as well as among their colleagues and employers.

Further, there is a need to take a gender-sensitive approach to develop more targeted and appropriate workplace mental health promotion initiatives that take professional workers full lives into account.

Read More:

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