Mental health in the midst of economic turmoil : the case of Lebanese Commercial Bank employees

Abstract

Anyone is prone to be exposed to many work related stressors that can affect the mental health. Mental health disorders are present in the daily normal life and in the workplace as well. Banking industry is not an exceptional one. This study aimed to identify the major job stressors that can affect employees’ mental health in the Lebanese commercial banks during the economic turmoil. We also aimed to identify the effects of the mental problems on the employees in addition to the role of human resources in promoting and preventing mental wellbeing at the workplace. In this qualitative research, we have interviewed 20 bank employees. The findings of this study have indicated that the majority of the employees were suffering from many work related stressors that have negatively affected their mental wellbeing. The stress and pressures have significantly increased during the economic crisis. However, the majority of the interviewees were not or rarely supported by their human resources department and their administration did not help them to get adapted for such a crisis nor for the changes at the workplace.