Lack of team spirit can trigger depression in workers, study finds

Date: 16/04/2009

Failing to instil a strong sense of team spirit in the workplace can not only hinder productivity but it can even affect employees' mental health, a new study suggests.

Once again serving to highlight the benefits of enhancing employee morale, research carried out by scientists at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health in Turku found that workers tend to be deeply affected by their work environment.

Indeed, those workers studied who revealed that their colleagues were 'prejudiced and quarrelsome' were found to be 61 per cent more likely to be depressed when compared to their peers who reported that their colleagues were 'encouraging and supportive of new ideas'.

Noting the significance of the findings, lead author Dr Marjo Sinokki told Reuters Health: "As depressive disorders are a major cause of work disability and account for a considerable proportion of the disease burden, more attention should be paid to psychosocial factors at work."

News of the findings comes just days after the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) launched a new website aimed at helping employers reduce stress levels in the workplace, with team building events cited as an excellent means of boosting team morale.

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