Once a taboo subject, the world has now come to understand the importance of mental health – how it affects our emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing – a crucial element to our personal, community, and socio-economic development. This has helped to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health challenges while there is increased recognition of the importance of preserving, protecting and maintaining good mental health.
Mental health has especially become a priority in the workplace as businesses and leaders have begun to understand that not only is decent work important to mental health, but good mental health is crucial to producing decent work. And yet, despite this progress, the reality for some people is starkly different.
Marginalised groups like domestic workers have been left behind in conversations about mental health, let alone support therein and access to care, despite being vulnerable to heightened risk for mental health challenges like stress, anxiety and depression. SweepSouth’s 7th annual report on domestic worker pay and worker conditions found that 16% of domestic workers surveyed reported a negative impact on their mental wellbeing within the past year, with women being more affected than men.
Domestic workers are an essential part of our society, playing a crucial role in the daily lives of millions of households. Their contributions enable many middle- and upper-income families to maintain a work-life balance, supporting working parents by taking on household responsibilities such as cleaning, cooking, childcare, and even taking care of pets or elderly family members.
Despite helping to create stability and ease for families, domestic workers experience hardly any of that stability in their own lives. That’s why it’s so important that we invest in improving their lives as much as they invest in ours. To put it simply, by investing in mental health support for this vulnerable group, we will not only uplift thousands of individuals but also strengthen societies and economies.
The Critical Circumstances of Our Often Unrecognised Caretakers
The vulnerability of domestic workers largely stems from facing challenges such as financial and job insecurity, mistreatment, and societal invisibility or isolation. In fact, 43% of workers noted that unemployment negatively impacted their mental health most, followed by debt or financial stress (25%) and then family problems (23%).
It’s no surprise that these issues are weighing on their minds as, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, we are currently facing the greatest cost of living crisis in a generation due to rising food and energy prices amongst rising inflation and increasing debt.
This is not only impacting workers’ ability to provide for their basic necessities, take care of their families, but also impacting their employment opportunities.
A whopping 36% of domestic workers reported job losses due to employer affordability issues, 75% were unable to save any money monthly, while 35% were in debt. The persistent stress of trying to make ends meet, combined with the emotional toll of job insecurity, and paired with the fact that 83% of workers surveyed were the sole providers of financial support to their families creates the perfect environment for a toxic cycle of poor mental health.
Many domestic workers experience mistreatment, exploitation, and even emotional abuse from their employers, leading to further emotional distress and a sense of powerlessness. The SweepSouth report found that 22% of domestic workers had experienced some form of abuse in their workplace. Yet, due to their vulnerable status, domestic workers often feel unable to seek help, either out of fear of losing their jobs or because they simply cannot afford professional care.
Mental Health Care Out of Reach for Workers
Access to professional mental health support remains a privilege reserved for those who can afford it. Private mental health care is out of reach for most citizens, let alone domestic workers, leaving them without formal avenues to seek help. The Sweepsouth survey found that only 27% of domestic workers whose mental health had been negatively impacted had been formally diagnosed by a medical professional. This is compounded by a cultural stigma around mental health, which often discourages individuals from seeking the support they desperately need.
This exclusion perpetuates a cycle where those most in need of mental health support are denied access to it, further entrenching their struggles and reinforcing the structural inequalities that marginalise them in the first place. Many workers have to make use of alternative coping mechanisms such as church involvement, exercise, and social connections with friends and family, underscoring the necessity for improved mental health support systems within this vulnerable population.
Studies show that untreated mental health issues can significantly impact productivity, leading to lost workdays and reduced job performance. The World Health Organisation observes that an estimated 12 billion working days are lost every year to depression and anxiety across the globe. Additionally, mental health problems contribute to broader societal issues such as family instability and higher healthcare costs.
But, the lack of access to mental health services for domestic workers isn’t just a health issue; it’s an economic one. Domestic workers are the backbone of many households. Left unchecked, this mental health crisis will not only diminish the well-being of domestic workers but will have a ripple effect on the broader economy.
Addressing mental health issues for domestic workers is an essential step toward creating a healthier and more equitable society. It’s simply not just a matter of compassion, but one of economic responsibility.