In the context of World Day for Safety and Health at Work, the National Institute of Safety and Health at Work (INSST) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) organized a technical conference under the theme "El trabajo que cambia: nuevos desafíos psicosociales" ("Changing Work: New Psychosocial Challenges"), focused on the new psychosocial risks arising from transformations in the world of work.

During the event, Ferran Muntané, Executive & Research Manager at the JHU-UPF Public Policy Center and researcher at GREDS-EMCONET, presented the findings of the PRESME Report on job precarity and mental health in Spain. This reference document was produced by an expert committee coordinated by Professor Joan Benach (UPF) at the request of the Ministry of Labour and Social Economy.

A structural crisis with impacts on mental health

Muntané highlighted that job precarity is not a cyclical phenomenon but a structural one, rooted in the design and management of the productive system. According to the latest available data, 47.5% of the working population in Spain is in a situation of job precarity.

This reality has direct consequences on mental health:

• Precarity doubles the risk of poor mental health.
• It increases the risk of suicide attempts by 20%.
• It is responsible for one third of depression cases among Spain's active workforce.

Furthermore, these effects follow a clear pattern of social inequality — known as the "social gradient of health" — disproportionately affecting social groups subject to greater discrimination, exploitation and domination, whether based on social class, gender or migrant origin.

Psychosocial risks: an overlooked dimension

One of the key messages of the conference was the need to recognize psychosocial risks as a structural component of contemporary work environments. Muntané warned that these risks have traditionally been underestimated and addressed in a fragmented way, limiting the effectiveness of prevention policies.

In this regard, a paradigm shift is proposed towards comprehensive approaches that connect occupational health with the structural conditions of the labour market.

Towards structural and preventive policies

The PRESME report advocates going beyond individual or organizational interventions and committing to structural measures, such as:

• Improving working conditions and regulating employment
• Strengthening labour rights and collective bargaining
• Developing public policies aimed at reducing precarity
• Reinforcing inspection systems and social protection
• Strengthening the welfare state and developing a public care system

According to Muntané, only through this type of intervention can progress be made towards healthier and more sustainable work environments.

A central challenge for the future of work

The conference highlighted that changes in the world of work — including digitalization, work intensification and the climate crisis — are profoundly transforming psychosocial risks. Faced with this scenario, institutions such as the INSST and the ILO underscored the importance of adapting prevention strategies to meet these new challenges.