The Guardian reported on 18 December that the moderators, who worked at a facility in Kenya, were exposed to content that included murders, suicides, child sex abuse and terrorism. They were found to have PTSD, generalised anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder.
The mass diagnoses were revealed as part of a lawsuit being brought against Facebook’s parent company, Meta, and Samasource Kenya, an outsourcing company that carried out content moderation for Meta.
Representatives of Meta have declined to comment.
Employers have a duty of care to protect the mental health and wellbeing of employees, particularly those working in high-risk roles like content moderation, where exposure to distressing material is part of the job, explained Kelly Tucker, managing director of consultancy HR Star.
To protect employees in high-risk roles, Tucker told HR magazine: “A robust support framework is critical. This includes providing access to regular mental health check ins with trained professionals, offering tailored employee assistance programmes, and ensuring that employees can take frequent breaks to decompress from difficult tasks.
“It's also essential to foster a culture where employees feel comfortable voicing concerns and accessing support, without fear of stigma.”
Read more: Mental health first aiders must be comprehensively supported
Some employees in the Meta case have reported misuse of alcohol or drugs, while others have reported relationship breakdowns. Others whose job involved removing videos by terrorist and rebel groups became afraid that they were being watched and would be killed.
Caroline Taylor, senior clinical lead at the mental healthcare business Onebright, told HR magazine that employees who view graphic images must be given techniques to focus on their lives outside of work, and be supported to keep engaging in their usual activities.
She said: “Once these images are in someone’s mind’s eye, they can become emotionally and psychologically consuming, as the person attempts to search for the meaning of these events or overcome the horror.
"Employers should allow employees to take breaks regularly, be understanding, validate employee distress, and support them in engaging in normal activities, such as socialising, exercising, eating well and sleeping.
“The support strategies can help people who are having an acute stress reaction not to go on and develop PTSD.”
HR practitioners should tailor their sick leave policy to those at risk of developing mental health conditions, Katherine Moxham, a spokesperson for GRiD, an industry body for the group risk sector, advised.
Speaking to HR magazine, she suggested: "[Employers] should examine their sick pay provision to ensure it is fit for purpose for those who inevitably must take time off work to recover."
Read more: Mental health days: do they work?
Taylor also recommended that occupational health advisors should be available to review the psychological wellbeing of employees that are vulnerable to developing PTSD.
Tucker added that job design must be carefully considered: “Employers should limit exposure to harmful content through rotation of duties, reducing hours spent on high-stress tasks, and implementing AI tools to handle the most severe content wherever possible.”
Transparency during recruitment is also crucial, Tucker said.
“Potential employees must be fully informed about the nature of the role, including the mental health risks associated with exposure to harmful content,” she said.
“Providing realistic job previews and thorough briefings ensures that candidates can make informed decisions, and sets the foundation for appropriate support from the outset.”
