For decades, the workplace has been governed by rigid goals, exhausting work hours, and a culture that romanticized overcoming burnout. But this paradigm is collapsing. A new model is being demanded — especially by Millennials and Generation Z — who place mental health and purpose at the center of their professional choices. The effects of this shift are already visible across various sectors of society, including the public sphere.
A striking example comes from Paraná’s state education network, where over 8,800 teachers were put on leave in 2024 for reasons related to mental health. According to official data from the State Department of Administration and Welfare (Seap), released following a request by state deputy Ana Júlia Ribeiro (PT), this figure represents about 13% of all teachers.
Among permanent staff, the situation is even more critical: mental health leave accounts for 23.5% of the total 37,773 teachers. The category reports a work environment marked by pressure, excessive demands, and goals that ignore human well-being.
This scenario, though specific, reflects a broader reality: workers in the 21st century are no longer willing to sacrifice their emotional health for productivity. Recent studies show that younger generations seek not only financial stability but also healthy environments, respectful relationships, and meaningful work.
Companies and the Importance of Mental Health
Organizations that fail to adapt to this new mindset risk becoming obsolete. Real mental health programs, active listening, and flexible work models are no longer “benefits” — they’re requirements. The future of work will be built by leaders capable of balancing performance with empathy and by companies that understand people are not resources — they are human beings.
The death of teacher Silvaneide Monteiro Andrade, 56, inside a state school — mentioned at the Legislative Assembly of Paraná — underscores the urgency of this discussion. This is not merely about statistics or market trends. It’s about lives.
Silvaneide could have been any of us — a dedicated educator overwhelmed by pressure, made invisible by statistics, and silenced by an institutional logic that demands too much and gives too little. Her death is not an isolated incident but the tragic peak of a curve that has been rising for a long time — and is now reaching unsustainable levels.
Behind the cold numbers — 8,888 leaves, 23.5% of the staff — lie stories of silent exhaustion, ignored diagnoses, and professionals struggling to balance personal lives with overcrowded classrooms, school violence, and unattainable goals. When human care becomes secondary, the entire educational system — and any organization — falls ill with its people.
The younger generations entering the workforce are paying attention — and they’re responding clearly. For Millennials and Gen Z, working without purpose, in toxic environments, or without emotional safety is simply unacceptable. They are unafraid to say no, ask for help, change careers, or call out abuse. Their courage is forcing companies, institutions, and governments to rethink their relationship with work.
A Cultural Reconfiguration of Work
We are witnessing a profound cultural reconfiguration, where success is no longer measured solely by titles or salaries, but by mental health, life balance, and belonging. This paradigm shift still faces resistance — particularly in traditional sectors — but it is now irreversible.
What’s at stake is not only the ability of organizations to attract and retain talent, but their moral and strategic survival. In a world where human capital drives innovation, ignoring psychological suffering is corporate suicide.
We must stop treating mental health as a September campaign. We must end toxic resilience — the idea that enduring everything for results is noble. We need leaders who listen, public policies that value educators, and companies that understand emotional care as an investment, not a cost.
Schools cannot be places that make teachers sick. Work cannot be a place that kills.
Silvaneide Monteiro Andrade leaves us a painful but definitive lesson: there is no goal more urgent than preserving life. And perhaps this is the greatest goal every institution — public or private — should pursue.
The Need for Urgent Action
If not for humanity, then for survival — but it’s precisely for humanity that we must act now. That’s why initiatives like Psychologists Without Borders (PSF) have become increasingly vital. In a world where psychological suffering grows at an alarming rate — in schools, workplaces, and communities — psychological care has become an essential tool for healing, transformation, and rebuilding.
PSF believes that mental health cannot be a privilege of a few, but a right for all. Operating across several regions of Brazil, the project offers accessible, quality psychological support to those who need it most — including educators, vulnerable workers, and families in emotional distress. At the same time, it invites companies and institutions to join this network of care: by financially supporting the project, they help provide psychological care for their own employees while building a healthier, more compassionate country.
What PSF promotes is not just therapy — it’s listening, empathy, and a safe space where people can rediscover their humanity.
When we talk about mental health at work, we’re not only discussing clinical issues — we’re talking about belonging, dignity, and hope. Each session, each professional supported, each strengthened life is a step toward a more human society.
The death of a teacher inside her own classroom is a cry that echoes far beyond the walls of education. It’s a call to all of us — citizens, leaders, and policymakers — to rebuild the environments where we live and work.
Let this pain not be in vain. Let it push us to act. Let it remind us daily that the future we want begins with what we choose to value: the well-being of those who sustain our society with their work, dedication, and lives.
Because, in the end, caring for mental health means caring for what is most essential: each other.
Let’s build more humane, healthy, and productive workplaces — together.