Workplace Mental Health: Women, Children, and Disabilities

When we talk about workplace mental health, we often picture office stress, burnout, or work-life balance issues faced by the average employee. But for certain groups – working women juggling caregiving roles, children trapped in hazardous labour, and people living with disabilities – the mental health stakes are far higher and far more complex. These are vulnerable populations whose psychological wellbeing is shaped not just by the nature of their work, but by deeply embedded social, economic, and structural forces. Understanding these challenges is essential if we are to build workplaces – and societies – that truly protect everyone.

Women’s dual burden: when work never really ends
The mental health cost of invisible labour
Social norms and the “social-reproductive squeeze”
Child labour’s mental toll: more than physical harm
How hazardous work damages developing minds
The cycle of deprivation
Disabilities and employment barriers: the wall of stigma
Why stigma is a structural problem, not just a personal one
Lack of support and the question of accommodations
What connects these three groups

Women’s dual burden: when work never really ends

For millions of women, the workday does not end when they leave the office. It simply shifts locations. This is the reality of the dual burden – the combination of paid employment and unpaid domestic and caregiving responsibilities that women disproportionately bear worldwide. In India, this burden is especially pronounced and well-documented.

India’s National Statistics Office Time Use Survey found that Indian women spend nearly five hours a day on unpaid domestic services and over two hours more than men daily on unpaid caregiving – looking after children, the elderly, and the ill. For urban working women, this burden collides directly with corporate demands, creating a relentless cycle of exhaustion that has clear mental health consequences.

The mental health cost of invisible labour

Research consistently links unpaid caregiving work to elevated cortisol levels, and when cortisol stays chronically high, the risk of depression and anxiety rises significantly. A Swedish longitudinal study found that women with higher unpaid work hours showed a stronger trajectory toward high, stable depression symptoms compared to men with similar workloads. The lack of leisure time, self-care, and social interaction compounds this distress considerably.

The numbers paint a stark picture. A joint study by US and Japan-based researchers found that each additional hour of caregiving per day reduces the probability of Indian women reporting median life satisfaction by 26 percentage points and good physical health by 15 percentage points. That is an enormous mental and physical toll for work that goes largely unrecognised and uncompensated.

The dual burden is not accidental – it is rooted in deeply ingrained cultural expectations. In India’s joint family system, daughters-in-law are routinely expected to shoulder caregiving for in-laws in addition to raising children and managing a career. Society still largely frames caregiving as a natural extension of femininity, which makes the labour invisible and leaves women little room to negotiate.

Research on gender and family caregiving confirms that women spend more time providing care and carry out more personal care tasks than men, experiencing greater mental and physical strain and higher levels of psychological distress as a result. Working women who are also primary caregivers must essentially perform two full-time jobs – yet only one is acknowledged by the economy or society.

Addressing this requires structural change: flexible work policies, affordable childcare, paternity leave that encourages men’s participation at home, and a cultural shift in how caregiving is valued. Studies highlight the need for supportive workplace policies and broader societal changes to ease the dual burden on women, enhance gender equality, and improve mental health outcomes.

Child labour’s mental toll: more than physical harm

When a child goes to work instead of school, the damage extends far beyond lost education. The psychological consequences of child labour are profound, persistent, and frequently overlooked in public health discussions.

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNICEF, nearly 138 million children were engaged in child labour in 2024, with around 54 million involved in hazardous work that directly jeopardises their health, safety, or development. Agriculture accounts for 61% of cases, but children also work in mining, manufacturing, construction, and domestic service – often under conditions that no adult should face, let alone a developing child.

How hazardous work damages developing minds

The ILO defines hazardous child labour as work in dangerous or unhealthy conditions that can result in injury, illness, or psychological damage – and crucially, notes that these health problems may not show up until the child reaches adulthood. Children’s brains and bodies are still developing, which makes them far more susceptible to the long-term effects of toxic stress than adults.

Longitudinal research shows that working as a child increases depression risk in adolescence, particularly in those who already have poor mental health. Frequent and prolonged exposure to adversity creates what researchers call toxic stress – a state of chronic physiological activation that disrupts normal brain development and predisposes children to depression, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation later in life.

Studies show that children involved in labour are at a significantly higher risk of developing anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These conditions hinder their ability to form healthy relationships, trust others, and envision a better future. Many also experience low self-esteem from constant exploitation, social isolation from being cut off from peers and play, and in some cases, substance use as a coping mechanism for unprocessed trauma.

The cycle of deprivation

The psychological damage caused by child labour does not remain confined to childhood. Adults who experienced child labour often face ongoing struggles with employment, parenting, and social functioning, creating patterns of intergenerational trauma. Without timely mental health intervention, the emotional wounds of early exploitation can continue to shape – and limit – an entire life trajectory.

Research from India and Nepal notes that child labourers require urgent mental health interventions once rescued, yet custom-made programmes for this group remain extremely limited. The under-recognition of mental health needs by community stakeholders – including NGO workers directly caring for these children – remains a serious gap. Physical rescue without psychological rehabilitation leaves the deeper damage untouched.

Disabilities and employment barriers: the wall of stigma

People living with disabilities – including mental health conditions – face a formidable set of barriers when it comes to employment. These barriers are not only structural (inaccessible workplaces, inadequate accommodations) but deeply social, rooted in stigma and misunderstanding that shape employer attitudes and workplace culture in ways that are often invisible but consistently damaging.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified stigmatisation as the core reason for discrimination against people with disabilities in employment contexts. People with mental health conditions are perceived as incompetent or incapable of meeting workplace standards – a bias that persists despite being both empirically wrong and legally prohibited in many countries.

Why stigma is a structural problem, not just a personal one

People with severe mental disorders are seven times more likely to be unemployed than those without mental health conditions, while those with common mental disorders are three times more likely to be unemployed. These are not small statistical gaps – they represent a massive, systemic exclusion from economic life.

Stigma operates at multiple levels. Employers and line managers hold negative attitudes that reduce hiring chances. Workplace culture makes disclosure feel unsafe – in one Canadian study, one-third of workers said they would not tell their manager about a mental health problem, primarily out of fear of career damage. And even when people are employed, the threat of harassment, misattribution of work behaviours, and the psychological burden of concealment all take a significant toll.

Research confirms that stigma and discrimination affect every stage of employment for people living with psychosis and other serious mental health conditions – from recruitment, to workplace relationships, to the capacity to retain employment at all. Work avoidance and reluctance to seek accommodations are common consequences.

Lack of support and the question of accommodations

Beyond stigma, people with disabilities frequently face a lack of practical support. The WHO emphasises that more than half the global workforce operates in the informal economy, where there is no regulatory protection for health and safety, and workers face discrimination without any legal recourse. Even in formal employment settings, the process of requesting reasonable accommodations can be fraught – particularly for those with invisible disabilities like depression, PTSD, or bipolar disorder, who fear that disclosure itself may lead to retaliation.

People with mental health conditions face higher rates of stigma and potential harassment within the workplace, and concern about discrimination has been shown to actively discourage individuals from re-entering the workforce even after receiving treatment. The fear of losing benefits tied to disability status can further trap people in poverty and inactivity.

What genuinely helps? WHO guidelines on mental health at work recommend a combination of organisational interventions, manager training, and supported employment initiatives that help people with mental health conditions enter and sustain paid work. Flexible scheduling, remote work options, anti-discrimination policies, and destigmatisation training for managers all make a measurable difference when implemented seriously rather than symbolically.

What connects these three groups

Women carrying dual burdens, children forced into hazardous work, and people with disabilities navigating a stigmatised job market are, on the surface, three distinct issues. But they share a common thread: each group’s psychological suffering is amplified – and in many cases caused – not just by the demands of work itself, but by the social structures that surround it. Gender norms, poverty, cultural stigma, and inadequate legal protections all determine who gets to work safely, who carries invisible loads, and whose mental health is considered worth protecting.

Recognising vulnerable populations as a distinct mental health priority means acknowledging that workplace wellness programmes designed for the average employee will not reach those who need support most. Targeted, culturally-aware, and structurally informed approaches are not optional – they are the only way to close the gap.

What do you think? If workplaces were genuinely designed to support the most vulnerable – whether that means caregiving women, children at risk, or employees with disabilities – what would the single most impactful change look like? And how much of the mental health burden these groups carry is a workplace problem versus a societal one that workplaces simply cannot solve alone?

References

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Table of Contents

Women’s dual burden: when work never really ends 🔗

The mental health cost of invisible labour 🔗

Social norms and the “social-reproductive squeeze” 🔗

Child labour’s mental toll: more than physical harm 🔗

How hazardous work damages developing minds 🔗

The cycle of deprivation 🔗

Disabilities and employment barriers: the wall of stigma 🔗

Why stigma is a structural problem, not just a personal one 🔗

Lack of support and the question of accommodations 🔗

What connects these three groups 🔗