als with mental health problems. As pointed out, employee mental health problems and their impact on an enterprise's productivity and disability costs are a critical human resource issue. Increasingly, employers, employers' organisations and international organisational bodies are recognising that the economic and social costs of mental health problems in the workplace cannot be ignored.
The Purpose of the research
With a grant from the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation, the ILO conducted in-depth situation analyses in five countries. The five countries selected were Finland, Germany, Poland, UK, and USA. The primary purpose of these situation analyses was to conduct an in-depth assessment of the impact of mental health problems in the workplace in order to determine the scope of the problem in competitive employment. Related to this purpose was also the assessment of the specific ramifications of the impact of mental health problem for employees and enterprises such as workplace productivity, loss of income, health-care and social security costs, access to mental health services and good practices by employers.
An essential objective of these situation analyses is that the information collected and assessed may be used to create further educational materials and assist in designing programmes which can be used by governmental agencies, unions, and employers' organisations for mental health promotion, prevention, and rehabilitation.
The situation analyses were based primarily on a thorough literature review, including documents from government agencies, NGOs, employer and employee organisations, as well as interviews with key informants.
The case of Poland
During the 1990's, significant political changes took place in Poland, and the country has been experiencing a major socio-economic transformation. The transformation of Poland's socio-economic system brought new qualities to all sectors of public and private life including the sphere of labour. The following situational analysis examines mental health issues in Poland, focusing on employment and the general work environment. Although this situational analysis is primarily concerned with mental health and work, mental health issues are often described within a broader societal and national context. This helps to present a more comprehensive analysis, since specific information and data on the relationship between mental health and working conditions are limited.
The situation analysis examines three major areas: Mental health at the national level, mental health issues and the labour market, and the role of government and social partners.
MENTAL HEALTH AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL examines the impact of Poland's social and economic transformation on mental well-being in the populace; attitudes regarding mental health problems; prevalence of mental health disorders; the status of the delivery of mental health services, and national mental health legislation and policies.
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND THE LABOUR MARKET examines the relationship between mental health and working conditions; the impact of unemployment on mental health; disability and employment status; prevention, promotion and rehabilitation programs; and access to employment for the mentally ill.
THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT AND SOCIAL PARTNERS examines the role of workers, employers, non-governmental organizations, and noted academic institutions in the area of employment, work environment, and mental health.
