The 3rd transnational meeting of Project “MentalHealthMatters”

Description

Experts from Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Poland, Sweden and Norway participated in it.
At the meeting were discussed the possibilities for occupational health and safety education in each project participating country, focusing more on training on psychosocial risk factors in the workplace. A common conclusion was reached that providing high-quality, practice-oriented education and continuous training for occupational safety specialists, labor inspectors, and employers is crucial in developing the necessary skills to manage psychosocial factors effectively.

The second half of the workshop was dedicated to advancing the development of the two project outputs, namely:

The online First-Aid Kit to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in addressing psychosocial risks and taking preventive action
The Roadmap detailing needed improvements and practical proposals for reform in OSH policy, regulations, education and practice both at the national and international levels.
The session on the First-Aid Kit focused on developing content and interface for the English version of the tool. The participants discussed the most frequently encountered challenges and psychosocial risks that they have nationally identified together with SME representatives, agreeing on the structure and main topics to be covered by the First-Aid Kit.

At the same time, the session dedicated to the Roadmap development discussed how to implement change in workplaces. To do this, an ecosystem for the governance of psychosocial factors was mapped, identifying the current main obstacles in the system and the areas where urgent reform is needed in the participating countries.

For the change to happen, the MentalHealthMatters project partners stressed the need for social innovation, evaluation of the existing policies and promising practices, and close social dialogue both at the political and workplace levels.

The day was concluded with optimism that change is possible coupled with a dash of realism that there are no quick solutions to systematically improve the mental health status of the workforce. In the words of one of the participants.

Period	19 Mar 2024
Event type	Meeting
Location	Helsinki, FinlandShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International