Rania Al-Sarayra
The “Assessment of knowledge, perceptions and attitudes related to mental health in the garment industry in Jordan” stressed the need to include the national action plan for mental health and addiction, and to address the issues faced by expatriate workers of both sexes in Jordan related to mental health and well-being, and to focus on mental health diseases and suicide cases. Emphasis on the participation of stakeholders from the sector in the national task force working within the national health action plan.
The evaluation recently prepared by the Better Work Program in Jordan of the International Labor Organization called for raising the knowledge of most stakeholders of the additional clauses related to mental health in the collective bargaining agreement, and for increased inspection by the Ministry of Labor, to ensure that factories comply with labor regulations and provide decent working conditions.
And he demanded the establishment of a system to support procedures related to expatriate workers, and to arrange to make the hotline available in all languages for its members, to deliver complaints.
The evaluation also recommended the development of factory protocols, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, to deal with suicide cases in the Gaza Strip, including: prevention, national post-accident response – embassies of expatriate workers, establishing shelters in their country’s embassies, or arranging shelters, to ensure a safe place for those facing abuse or Harassment, threats, or intimidation, or legal action with factories, to stay there until the problem is resolved.
The sector employs 62,000; 75% of migrant workers come from: Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and Nepal, while Jordanian workers represent the remaining 25%, and 75% of the workforce in production are females.
The evaluation showed that the expatriate workers face many causes of psychological stress during: migration, relocation and integration. Their impact varies, according to individual weaknesses and coping strategies, long working hours, and other conditions that may contribute to poor mental and physical health. It must be taken into account that these workers have their own thoughts and behaviors regarding this matter and to seek help.
He pointed out that previous years witnessed cases and suicide attempts, due to some extent due to the economic uncertainty faced by workers, the pressures associated with being away from the family and concern for their safety, which raised fears at the level of the sector as a whole, with the realization that these problems affect female workers, and the lack of ownership Adequate knowledge of why this is happening, and what needs to be done to support efforts to improve mental health and put an end to this tragedy.
The “Better Work” program implemented a mental health project, within the framework of this evaluation, to study the degree of knowledge, perceptions and behaviors of workers and stakeholders in the sector regarding mental health. The research found that workers and stakeholders show various levels of knowledge regarding mental health problems and causes. , so that they showed lower levels of knowledge than those of the stakeholders, and workers showed the greatest amount of knowledge on this issue and they are Jordanian workers, especially females.
The majority of those assessed responded that severe psychological stress from significant life events can cause mental health problems, while there were various opinions regarding whether biological or spiritual factors might cause mental health problems. While some expats, especially those from India and Bangladesh, believe that spiritual factors such as cursing or touching cause mental health problems.
“Lack of knowledge regarding mental health problems and causes is problematic,” the assessment said. Because it affects the way management and staff interpret their diagnosis of their problems, thus providing the correct course of treatment for workers, and affects their willingness and responsiveness to seeking or accepting the correct treatment.
He indicated that there are factors that affect the likelihood of workers seeking help, as well as the type of assistance they seek, so that barriers to seeking help from factory management and employees include: fear that problems will become bigger and more exposed, which leads to the spread of rumors; Fear of jeopardizing their jobs.
However, those who stated that they would seek help from factory management and employees, reported that factory management and employees tend to find solutions to problems.
The evaluation said, “Failure to properly address mental health problems in a timely, professional and appropriate manner can negatively affect workers with mental health problems, and this can negatively affect their health and well-being, and their general morale, and the wrong handling can lead to With mental health cases, the myths around it persist among workers and employees.”
