The International Labor Organization (ILO) publishes a report on the consequences of psychosocial risks (RPS), responsible for 840,000 annual deaths worldwide, mainly linked to cardiovascular diseases (784,000) and mental disorders (56,000), an annual loss equivalent to 1.37% of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP).
GENEVA (ILO News) – More than 840,000 people die each year from conditions linked to psychosocial risks, such as long working hours, job insecurity and workplace harassment, according to a new global report from the International Labor Organization (ILO). These work-related psychosocial risks are mainly associated with cardiovascular diseases and mental disorders, including suicide.
The report also finds that these risks are responsible for nearly 45 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost each year, reflecting years of healthy life lost due to disease, disability or premature death. They would also cause economic losses equivalent to 1.37% of global gross domestic product (GDP) each year.
Titled The workplace on a psychosocial level: Developments and avenues for global actionthis report highlights the growing impact of the way work is designed, organized and managed on the safety and health of workers. It warns that psychosocial risk factors — including long working hours, job insecurity, high demands combined with low control, and workplace violence and harassment — can create harmful work environments if not properly addressed.
What is the psychosocial work environment?
The report defines the psychosocial work environment as all the elements linked to the organization of work and professional interactions: the way in which jobs are designed, work organized and managed, as well as the policies, practices and procedures which govern professional activity. Taken individually or combined, these elements influence the health and well-being of workers, as well as the performance of organizations.
To better understand psychosocial risks, the report proposes three interrelated levels of the work environment:
- First, the very nature of the work, including requirements, responsibilities, match with worker skills, access to resources, as well as task design in terms of meaning, variety and use of skills.
- Second, the organization and management of workcovering role clarity, expectations, autonomy, workload, pace of work, and supervision and support.
- Third, the broader policies, practices and procedures that govern work. These include employment arrangements and the organization of working time, management of organizational change, digital monitoring, evaluation and remuneration processes, occupational safety and health policies and management systems, procedures for preventing violence and harassment at work, as well as mechanisms for consultation and participation of workers.
The report highlights that psychosocial risks arise from these elements and can be prevented through organizational approaches that address their root causes. It also emphasizes the importance of integrating the management of these risks into occupational safety and health systems, supported by social dialogue between governments, employers and workers.
How the ILO estimated the 840,000 deaths
The figure of more than 840,000 deaths per year is based on two main sources of data. The first concerns the global prevalence of five major psychosocial risk factors at work: professional tension (high demands associated with low control), effort-reward imbalance, job insecurity, long working hours, as well as harassment and violence at work.
The second source is scientific work demonstrating how these risks increase the likelihood of serious conditions such as heart disease, stroke and mental disorders, including suicide.
These risk levels were then applied to the most recent global mortality and health data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the study Global Burden of Disease (GBD)in order to estimate the number of deaths and DALYs * (disability-adjusted life years) attributable to these risks each year. This approach allowed the ILO to quantify both the human and economic burden, notably by assessing productivity losses translated into GDP costs linked to years of healthy life lost.
Furthermore, The report synthesizes a large body of evidence showing that psychosocial risks are associated with a wide range of mental and physical disorders among workers, including depression, anxiety, metabolic diseases, musculoskeletal disorders and sleep disorders.
Widespread exposure
While many psychosocial risks are not new, major transformations in the world of work — notably digitalization, artificial intelligence, teleworking and new forms of employment — are redefining the psychosocial work environment. These developments can intensify existing risks or create new ones if they are not properly managed. At the same time, they can offer opportunities for improved work organization and increased flexibility, highlighting the need for proactive action.
“Psychosocial risks are becoming one of the most important challenges for occupational safety and health in the contemporary world of work”said Manal Azzi, head of the OSH policies and systems team at the ILO. “Improving the psychosocial work environment is essential not only to protect the mental and physical health of workers, but also to strengthen productivity, organizational performance and sustainable economic development. »
By acting proactively to address these risks, the report concludes, countries and businesses can create healthier working environments that benefit both workers and organizations, while strengthening productivity and economic resilience.
* L’disability-adjusted life expectancy (EVCI) is a method of evaluating the cost of illness measuring life expectancy in good health, that is to say by subtracting from life expectancy the number of years “lost” due to illness, disability or early death. We often use the English acronym DALY (for disability-adjusted life years), that is to say the number of these years lost, as a unit of measurement to express the result of this calculation while, strictly speaking, the English equivalent of EVCI is DALE (disability-adjusted life expectancy). (Wikipedia)
The psychosocial workplace – Global developments and courses of action, International Labor Organization, 2026
