Work-related stress has become a major occupational risk factor in all industrialized countries. Not in vain, stress has been called the “health epidemic of the 21st century” by the World Health Organization. For instance the American Institute of Stress states that the consequences of stress-related illnesses, from depression to heart disease, costs businesses an estimated $200 to $300 billion a year in lost productivity [AIS]. In the WHO European Region alone, the estimated cost exceeds US$ 140 billion per year [WHO].

Thus, in order to reduce the negative impacts of work-related stress it is fundamental to create healthy workplaces following a 3-dimension approach: Prevent and protect mental health by reducing work-related and stress hazards; promote mental health by developing positive aspects of work and strengths of employees and address and react already existing stress at work related problems regardless of the source.

To this end, the challenge thrown down by NTT Data would here consists on proposing innovative technological solutions and work-life services that enable to promote good mental health and prevent stress hazards and related mental illness in the workplace for SMEs, large organizations and/or public institutions.

It is expected that the proposed solutions contribute to reduce the sickness absences and have a positive impact on productivity and economic results of workplaces as well as to improve workers wellbeing at work.

[AIS] http://www.euro.who.int/en/media-centre/events/events/2017/10/mental-health-at-the-workplace-world-mental-health-day-2017
[WHO] http://www.euro.who.int/en/media-centre/events/events/2017/10/mental-health-at-the-workplace-world-mental-health-day-2017