Families for Depression Awareness
Unfortunately, higher rates of suicide than many other occupations. Workplace mental health programs can help.
Over the past several weeks, CFYM has exposed the problem of postpartum depression and offered solutions for improving the quality of maternal mental health care. This series, developed in collaboration with the National Network of Depression Centers, brought together the voices of women with lived experience, researchers, providers, advocates, and legislators to shine a light on maternal mental health—a topic usually hidden in the shadows.
In addition to exposing some startling facts around the lack of maternal mental health care, contributors also provided meaningful solutions that are effective both economically and from a wellness perspective. These programs provide training and expert consultation to health care providers and peer-to-peer support to assist moms and their families.
Five tips to shift workplace culture and create a space for open dialogue about mental health
Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio
Vice President, Health and Wellness, Prudential
The silence that surrounds mental health issues is often the result of shame and fear. This is particularly true in the workplace, where many worry they will suffer professional consequences if their co-workers and supervisors learn of their behavioral health challenges.
Sometimes, however, people keep silent about behavioral health issues simply because there is no space for such conversations in their workplace. If there is no precedent for initiating these sorts of conversations and people are not invited to share information about behavioral health matters, they likely will not feel comfortable discussing them. And so they remain silent, unsure of how—or where—to raise the topic.
Care for Your Mind kicks off a new series on workplace issues. Given that depression is the number one cause of disability in the United States, more needs to be done to accommodate employees’ mental health in the workplace. In the first post, Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio explains the value of work and the role employers can play in supporting good mental health.
Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio, LMFT, LCSW, DVS, CEAP, SPHR
Vice President, Health and Wellness, Prudential Financial, Inc.
Because most of us spend the majority of our waking hours at work, what happens there greatly affects many dimensions of our...
Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio, LMFT, LCSW, DVS, CEAP, SPHR
Vice President, Health and Wellness, Prudential Financial, Inc.
I read Carolyn Beauchamp’s recent post CFYM with interest, but not surprise. Ms. Beacuchamp discusses the inadequacies of insurers’ behavioral health networks and highlights the challenges that insured patients encounter when seeking mental health care. Often network information is outdated or incorrect, and it can be extremely time-consuming and frustrating to obtain an appointment. For someone in a worsening mental health state, such obstacles are frustrating at best, catastrophic at worst.
While Carolyn’s piece sheds light on this important issue, it is—unfortunately—not news to those of us who work in the behavioral health field. As a practitioner, I experienced the frustrations of patients struggling to find an in-network provider or schedule an appointment within a reasonable time frame. Now, in my current role as Vice President, Health and Wellness, at Prudential Financial, I work to combat these challenges and reduce obstacles to care.
It’s hard to make good decisions when you don’t have good information. And in a system where healthcare providers have less and less time to provide the information necessary for good decision making, it falls to individuals and their supportive family members and friends to be proactive in getting the information they need for making informed healthcare decisions.
Depression is the number one cause of disability in the United States. In this week’s post Dr. Jorge Petit provides guidance on how clinicians can support individuals in attaining success at work and assist them in staying employed.
How’s Work Going for You? Your Mental Health Provider Should Be Asking.
Jorge R. Petit, M.D.
In last week’s post Ken Dolan-Delvecchio shared that mental health professionals underestimate the impact of work on a person’s mental health and explored how work can aid a person’s recovery.
As a psychiatrist, I can—unfortunately—confirm that employment and empl...
Connect With Us