Companies should monitor their employees and provide immediate support when stress starts weighing down on their mental health, Health Minister Joseph Cassar said.

“We can never highlight enough the importance of healthy working places. Your daily job has a direct effect on your mental health,” Dr Cassar said during a conference held to mark World Mental Health Day which falls next Monday.Dr Cassar said each year 38 per cent of the EU population suffered from some form of mental health disorder yet only one third were given treatment. For this reason it was important for people, including employers,to be aware of the signs of a looming disorder.