Theoretical-practical evidence in the prevention and promotion of workers’ mental health

Mental health is an important conditioning factor of health in prevention, promotion, and surveillance practices in the intersectoral activity of workers’ health. The goal of this study is to identify, in the scientific literature, risk factors and the promotion of wellbeing, both regarding workers’ mental health. We approached workers’ health in the field of management and research that provide the foundation, through a theoretical-methodological framework, for assistance and intersectoral policies applied to prevention and promotion of workers’ wellbeing. We conducted a systematic review in May 2020 using the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) scientific journal database, with studies published from 2009 to 2019. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for including and excluding variables and performed a fruitful analysis of a final sample of 14 scientific articles. For analyzing our results, we initially described the elements constituting the studies using a form; after this stage, we evidenced 3 axes for discussing the analytical data: a) interconnections of mental health and workers’ health; b) risk factors and workers’ mental health; and c) workers’ mental health education. Studies show the strengthening of workers’ mental health as an element for prevention and promotion in the psychosocial domain, reduction of morbidity and mortality, coping with precarious employment, the assistance and understanding of occupational psychopathologies, and not individualizing occupational illness.