Depression in the workplace
Carol Duff
Freelance Trainer
14th November 2013
Aims
Myths around depression and mental
health conditions
What is depression
Depression in the workplace
How to help someone
Training available
Fact Or Fiction?
Depression is common
Depression is rare and unusual and none of my
staff have a mental health condition
1 in 5 people will
experience
depression at some
point in their lives
Fact Or Fiction?
The vast majority of
People with severe mental health
conditions
are
people
who have
not able toexperienced
work
a mental
health condition
continue or return to
work successfully
Fact Or Fiction?
Being out of work can
be more detrimental to
mental makes
health mental health problems worse
Working
There is evidence
that work is generally
good for health and
wellbeing
However poor conditions in the workplace can
impact on poor mental health therefore it is
essential to foster a healthy work environment
Fact Or Fiction?
Someone who has previously had a mental health
Although people can
condition will have a bad sickness record in the
and do sometimes
future
need time off work
Over 70% of
with their mental
people have a
health condition –
single episode
most can and do
and then fully
recover and only
recover
some experience
problems over a
longer period of time
Stigma and disclosure
Many people don’t disclose a mental health
condition for fear of discrimination
Many people don’t understand mental health
conditions and avoid talking about them
This can exacerbate the issue
Finding the balance
Employers want
need to
to maximise
be able to
productivity
recognise signs
and also
of illsupport
health
and provide
employees
appropriate
support
They need to understand
how to encourage good
mental health
Depression
Everyone feels sad, fed up or miserable
sometimes
But for some
people, depression
goes on for longer,
and becomes so
severe that they
find it hard to carry
on with their normal
lives
Continuum of Mental well being
Mental
illness
Positive
mental
wellbeing
Clinical depression
A clinical depression is one
that lasts for at least 2 weeks
and affects the person
physically, emotionally,
cognitively and behaviourally
It interferes with the person’s
ability to carry out his or her
work or to have satisfying
personal relationships.
Emotional Changes
Sadness
Increased anxiety or stress
Feelings of guilt
Anger
Mood swings
Lack of emotional responsiveness
Helplessness
Hopelessness
Changes in thinking
Frequent self-criticism
Self-blame
Worrying
Pessimism
Poor memory and concentration
Difficulty making decisions
Confusion
Tendency to believe that others see you negatively
In severe cases thoughts of death and suicide
Physical changes
Chronic fatigue
Lack of energy
Sleeping too much or too little
Overeating or loss of appetite
Constipation
Weight loss or gain
Irregular menstrual cycle
Loss of libido
Unexplained aches and pains
Changes in Behaviour
Crying spells
Withdrawal from others
Neglect of responsibilities
Loss of interest in personal appearance
Loss of motivation
Making more mistakes
How depression might present in workplace?
Decreased productivity
Morale problems
Lack of co-operation
Safety problems
Absenteeism
Frequent complaints of being tired all the time
Complaints of unexplained aches and pains
Alcohol and/or other drug misuse
What can you do to help or advise
Help the person to feel hope and optimism
Understand that depression is common
Depression is a real medical condition
Effective help is available
What doesn’t help
Being told to snap out of it
Being told to cheer up
Being made to feel a failure
Depression being seen as a weakness
Where can you get help for depression?
Self help
GP
Counselling
Cognitive behaviour therapy
Local groups i.e Cruise
Medication
What can help in the workplace?
Raising awareness of mental health conditions
Promoting well-being
Identifying the early warning signs and talking at
an early stage
Keeping in touch during sickness absence
Occupational health
Considering reasonable adjustments
Ongoing support and review
Benefits of Intervention
• The total cost to employers is estimated at
nearly £26 billion each year
• That is equivalent to £1,035 for every employee
in the UK workforce
• Simple steps to improve the management of
mental health in the workplace should enable
employers to save 30% or more of these costs at least £8 billion a year
Training available
• Mental Health First Aid ( 2 day course)
• Mental Health First Aid Lite ( 3 hour session)
• Line Managers Mental health awareness
( 6 hours)
• Employee Mental Health Awareness ( 3 hours)
• Managing stress in the workplace
Summary
None of us are immune to mental health conditions
Both the employer and the employee are
responsible for looking after their own mental
wellbeing
Small changes and proactive support can
encourage good mental health and in turn
maximise productivity
There is help and support available
Useful information
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/employment
www.moodgym.anu.edu.au
www.depressionalliance.org.uk
www.mentalhealth.org.uk
www.mind.org.uk
www.mindfulemployer.net
www.hse.uk
www.mhfaengland.org/news/mhfa-england-updatesshift-line-managers-resource
• www.getselfhelp.co.uk
• www.ntw.nhs.uk/pic/selfhelp
Thank you & questions
Contact Details
carol.duff@rdash.nhs.uk