News & Events
Promoting Positive Mental and Physical Health at Work in a Changing Environment
A new EU-funded PROSPERH Project will be led by Professor Ella Arensman, Head of the School of Public Health, Professor of Public Mental Health, UCC and Chief Scientist, National Suicide Research Foundation with co-lead Dr. Eve Griffin, Chief Executive Officer, National Suicide Research Foundation.
Workplaces have experienced rapid changes in recent years, driven by digital and green transitions (‘twin transition’) and the COVID-19 pandemic. New ways of working and managing working environments have arisen, and these can affect the physical and mental health of workers in new ways, both positive and negative. Workplaces can be health-promoting environments, but how this can be achieved in practice needs exploration.
To transform workplaces into health-promoting environments, companies and workers need tools and resources that enhance awareness, promote health, mental health, support self-management, and signpost referral pathways. To improve the health of workers, policymakers need the latest evidence on healthy workplaces, and advice on how governments and other actors can create a favourable environment for change. These needs will be met by the EU-Horizon Europe funded PROSPERH project (https://prosperh.eu/), which will run over five years, 2024-2028.
Opening of the EU Horizon Europe PROSPERH Kick-off Meeting with partners from 19 countries
PROSPERH boasts an international consortium of 21 partners from 19 countries, who will work together to develop and validate the multi-level PROSPERH intervention, delivered via the online PROSPERH Portal. The intervention will target both organisational (work), peer and individual (worker) aspects, with three components focusing on health promotion, online self-monitoring and self-management and clinical care or coaching referral pathways.
Development of the intervention will build on existing knowledge and tools developed by the consortium in previous EU-funded projects (MENTUPP, https://www.mentuppproject.eu/; iFightDepression, https://ifightdepression.com/). The project will focus on three sectors experiencing significant change and challenges in physical and mental health (telework and ICT-based mobile work, health and construction).
Once developed, the intervention will be tested in Ireland, Albania, Australia, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Kosovo, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Turkey. Key project outcomes will include policy guidelines and recommendations, as well as a roadmap for making the PROSPERH Portal freely available to companies.
The Horizon Europe PROSPERH project was launched by UCC and the NSRF on Thursday 25th January 2024. Professor Stephen Byrne, Deputy President and Registrar provided an opening address.
Prof Ella Arensman states: “Via the EU Horizon Europe - PROSPERH project, we have a unique opportunity to build on the evidence base and interventions, developed by the EU Horizon 2020 project MENTUPP, and to progress the needed interventions to improve both the mental and physical health of staff in changing working environments. PROSPERH supports the UN Sustainable Development Goal: Good Health and Wellbeing, by strengthening the capacity of countries for prevention, early warning, and risk reduction of mental and physical health issues”.
Dr Eve Griffin states: “The National Suicide Research Foundation are delighted to co-lead this important programme of work, which will provide evidence regarding innovative tools and strategies to support mental wellbeing in the workplace. PROSPERH represents a dynamic consortium of international researcher, with a significant track record of interdisciplinary collaboration, and we look forward to working together over the coming years”.
Learn more about the PROSPERH project, consortium partners and related research: https://prosperh.eu/
For more on this story contact:
Prof Ella Arensman ella.arensman@ucc.ie
Dr Eve Griffin evegriffin@ucc.ie