Psychosocial Health and Safety: The Silent Risk in Ghana’s Workplaces

In discussions on occupational health and safety, attention is often placed on physical hazards such as workplace accidents, machinery risks, and environmental exposure. However, an equally important but less visible dimension is psychosocial health and safety; the mental, emotional, and social conditions that shape how work is experienced and performed.

On this World Day for Safety and Health at Work, with a global focus on psychosocial working environments, the relevance of this issue has become even more urgent. Globally, the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that over 840,000 people die annually due to work-related psychosocial risks, including stress, long working hours, harassment and job insecurity. This highlights that workplace stress is not only a mental health issue but also a major public health concern with serious economic and social consequences across the world.

Psychosocial hazards refer to workplace factors such as excessive workload, job insecurity, poor communication, workplace bullying, unclear job roles, and lack of organizational support. These factors do not cause immediate physical injury but over time, they significantly affect workers’ mental health, productivity, and overall wellbeing.

In Ghana, psychosocial risks are already significantly affecting workers across key sectors. In the health sector, a study among psychiatric nurses in Ghana conducted by Agyemang, Ninnoni, and Ebu Enyan (2022) found that 27% of respondents experienced anxiety, 42% reported stress ranging from mild to high levels, and 19.6% showed symptoms of depression. The study concluded that the demanding nature of healthcare work exposes professionals to significant psychological distress, largely driven by workload pressures and limited support systems (Agyemang et al., 2022).

In the mining sector, a study has shown that miners experience high levels of stress and fatigue, influenced by hazardous working conditions, long working hours and economic pressures associated with both industrial and small-scale mining operations (Nyantakyi et al., 2018–2020).

In the construction industry, the narrative is not different. Workers are frequently exposed to job insecurity, long working hours( overtime) and psychologically demanding conditions associated with unstable employment and unsafe working environments (Edwards & Amoah, 2016-2019).

Similarly, studies on commercial transport workers reveal that drivers experience high occupational stress linked to prolonged driving hours, financial targets, and road traffic pressures all of which contribute to fatigue and psychological strain (Adu-Gyamfi & Abane, 2017–2021).

Importantly, the informal sector which constitutes a significant proportion of the Country’s workforce is equally affected, if not more vulnerable. Traders in markets, artisanal workers, food vendors, commercial motorcycle riders (Okada) and daily wage labourers often operate under highly uncertain conditions. Many face income instability, long and irregular working hours, poor working environments, financial pressure, and limited or no access to formal occupational health and psychosocial support systems. These conditions create sustained psychological strain that is often overlooked in national occupational health discussions, yet they contribute significantly to stress, anxiety, and burnout among informal workers.

The consequences of psychosocial hazards are both mental and physical. Prolonged exposure to workplace stress may result in hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, anxiety, depression, burnout, chronic fatigue, reduced concentration and productivity as well as increased absenteeism and staff turnover.

Across many organisations in Ghana, employees continue to face high workloads with limited staffing, long working hours and pressure to meet deadlines, weak communication between management and staff, limited access to mental health and psychosocial support, job insecurity and performance pressure. These conditions often remain unspoken, yet they significantly affect morale, institutional performance, and service delivery.

Workplaces that fail to address psychosocial risks often experience low productivity, high employee turnover, frequent absenteeism, workplace conflict and poor teamwork. On the other hand, organisations that prioritise psychosocial wellbeing benefit from healthier employees, improved efficiency and stronger institutional performance.

Managing psychosocial risks requires deliberate action from employers and organisations. This includes promoting fair and manageable workloads, strengthening communication and leadership transparency, addressing workplace bullying and harassment promptly, supporting work-life balance policies, providing access to counseling, mental health support, building a respectful and inclusive workplace culture. Employees also play a role by speaking up about workplace stressors, seeking support early and fostering healthy workplace relationships.

Psychosocial health is a critical but often overlooked component of workplace safety. A safe working environment is not only one that prevents physical harm but also one that protects the mental and emotional wellbeing of employees. In Ghana’s evolving work environment, especially as the world marks a day dedicated to safety and health at work with emphasis on psychosocial wellbeing, prioritising psychosocial safety is no longer optional. It is essential for productivity, institutional growth, and sustainable national development.

Author: Samuel K. Ankomah (Health and Safety Professional)

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