The dataset used for the project is from Open Source Mental Illness (OSMI) using survey data from the year 2014. The survey measures attitudes toward mental health and the frequency of mental health disorders in the tech workplace. The dataset has 27 columns and 1259 entries. The .csv format can be found here on Kaggle.
CHALLENGES
Mental health issues have massive repercussions in the IT sector, not only for the individual but also for the company’s productivity.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression and anxiety cost the global economy approximately one trillion dollars in lost productivity each year.
Company employees operate under the same high-stress; late nights, abnormal hours, and tight deadlines, all the while wearing multiple hats and being constantly available at any time of day.
The tech industry fosters a “crunch” culture (where demanding work must be completed in a short amount of time). There’s also an increased motivation to neglect one’s health by forgoing proper diet, exercise, and sleep in the name of increased output, which if left unchecked can lead to a rise in burnout, depression, anxiety, and loneliness.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Employees of the companies operate under the same high-stress: late nights, abnormal hours, and tight deadlines, all while wearing multiple hats and being constantly available at any time of day.
The tech industry fosters a “crunch” culture (where demanding work must be completed in a short amount of time). There’s also an increased motivation to neglect one’s health by forgoing proper diet, exercise, and sleep in the name of increased output. And if left unchecked, this can lead to a rise in burnout, depression, anxiety, and loneliness
This survey had over 1200 responses and the data from these responses was made public, which gave us an interesting opportunity to analyze the attitudes of tech-workers from 48 different countries towards mental health.
OBSERVATIONS
- Most of the participants fall between the ages of 23 and 45
- We may conclude that whether a person is self-employed or not does not largely affect whether he may be seeking mental treatment or not
- Family history is a significant risk factor for many mental health disorders. Participants who had a family history of mental illness are more likely to seek treatment as opposed to the ones who do not
- From the data, the biggest factor of mental health disorder came up triggered in the workplace. Employers should allow a flexible work environment with flexible work scheduling and break timings. They should allow employees to work from home or have a flexible place of work.
- It was also observed that larger companies tend to formally discuss mental health issues more, i.e. perhaps they have formal policies in place. Also, the odds of mental health illness among tech companies is not significantly different than the odds of mental health illness in non-tech companies.
- Offering benefits is the greatest strategy for managers to alleviate mental health issues
- When employees are aware of the benefits provided by the company, the organization provides a positive environment and a platform for employees to easily ask for help and assure them of the confidentiality of their health which significantly reduces the chances of mental health illness.
- If employees are aware that their company has measures to provide support, they are more likely to monitor their mental health and to ask for help without any reservations. Accepting treatment also reduces chances of mental health and a company can improve their work environment by promoting their employees to take treatment without any hesitation.
- Providing a safe support group within the organization can be beneficial (with priority to maintain anonymity). It is important for an organization to have policies and measures to support their employees but more importantly, it is important for an organization to create a harmonious work environment.