• Find people
• Intranet

News

12/04/2022 - Press release

The Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute and Fundació PIMEC sign an agreement to improve the psychological well-being of entrepreneurs and workers

COVID-19 has accelerated the need to raise awareness of the psychological well-being of the human teams that form part of SME organisations, in the face of the economic uncertainty aggravated by the war in Ukraine

The manager of the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM-Hospital del Mar), Mr. Andreu Fort i Robert, and the president of Fundació PIMEC, Mr. Josep González Sala, have signed a collaboration agreement with the common objective of improving the mental health of entrepreneurs and workers, within the scope of SME organisations. The collaboration agreement establishes that PIMEC's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will be given access to the European MENTUPP project, through the actions designed and facilitated by the IMIM's Mental Health Research Group to combat stress, burnout and symptoms of depression and anxiety.

SMEs generate more than 60% of Spanish GDP and more than 70% of jobs, and are therefore the driving force behind the economy. Businesses and the self-employed in the sectors hit hardest by the effects of COVID-19 have been severely weakened. With little or no income, in debt, with problems of liquidity and, above all, solvency, they are drowning in fixed payments (taxes and fees, rents, or credits). We are talking, in particular, about retail, restaurants, hotels, tourism, culture, leisure, sport and nightlife, but without forgetting the uncertainty in sectors such as construction, information and communication technologies, healthcare and industry. Uncertainty that is increasing across the board due to a new war in the centre of Europe, where Ukraine is suffering the Russian invasion.

The agreement between the IMIM-Hospital del Mar and Fundació PIMEC involves the boosting and development of projects related to health and health promotion, through healthcare, scientific research and innovation within the European project MENTUPP (Mental Health Promotion and Intervention in Occupational Settings) to improve psychological well-being within SMEs in the sectors of construction, health and information and communication technologies.

The IMIM-Hospital del Mar participates in MENTUPP, a large-scale research project funded by the European Union that addresses aspects such as stress and burnout, as well as managing the symptoms of depression and anxiety in SMEs, in order to improve the recognition and timely treatment of depression in the workplace and reduce suicidal behaviour, thanks to the actions taken and materials provided to companies.

Dr. Benedikt Amann

Fundació PIMEC will be looking for companies in the construction, health and information and communication technology sectors that want to participate, free of charge, in this European project, which has already moved on from the pilot stage, with very positive results. The material created is interactive and contains relevant information on stress, psychological well-being and the symptoms of depression and anxiety. The principal investigator of the project, Dr. Benedikt Amann, emphasises that "It is critical to raise awareness of the importance of emotional and psychosocial well-being within SMEs in general and also, beyond the project, to ultimately create more economic well-being in each company."

The collaboration agreement between the IMIM-Hospital del Mar and Fundació PIMEC will have a monitoring committee to ensure that the objective of the agreement is achieved. Participating companies will have to go through the IMIM-Hospital del Mar and will require a specific informed consent to collaborate.

More news