Category Workplace Issues

How workplace conversations about behavioral health can maximize our career potential
Dr. Shirley Cresci, Director, Behavioral Health Services, Prudential

I was diagnosed with dysthymia—persistent mild depression—several decades ago. Prior to my diagnosis and treatment, depression robbed me of joy and my authenticity. Because it was not debilitating depression that kept me from getting out of bed each day, however, I minimized it. I convinced myself my sadness and low self-worth was just me, not any kind of problem.

I experienced the effect of my depression through all aspects of my life, but especially in my early work choices. As a single mother with no college degree and a poor sense of self-confidence, I pursued jobs that were outside of my goals and ambitions. My past work life was about underachievement.

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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.

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Paul Pendler, Psy.D., ABPP
Assistant Professor, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine,
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences

When mental health issues arise, all areas of a person’s life tend to suffer—work included. Under certain circumstances, people with mental health conditions may need to seek time off from employment in order to focus on recovery and restore functioning.

If you suspect you might need time off for mental health reasons, listed below are some helpful guidelines for how to engage your practitioner and your workplace on this issue.

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Laurel Pickering

When it comes to mental health issues—particularly depression—research has shown that collaborative care is the most effective treatment available.

This model allows patients to access their Primary Care Physician (PCP), a consulting psychiatrist, and a case manager through one practice for coordinated mental health care. For patients, it offers faster, more comprehensive, and personalized care; for employers, it helps increase productivity and lower disability claims; and for health care plans, it helps reduce costs over time.

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Marcas Miles, MA
Senior Director, Marketing & Communications, Employers Health

The stigma that come with mental health issues present harmful barriers to care in many capacities, but they’re particularly detrimental in the workplace, where Americans spend a great deal of their time.

Few people are comfortable discussing depression and other mental health problems with their colleagues. Yet, ineffectively treated, depression remains an issue that leads to employees failing to get needed care, widespread loss of productivity, and short-term disability claims for employers.

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Andy Baker-White, JD, MPH, Associate Director
The Network for Public Health Law – Mid-States Region
www.networkforphl.org

How many of us go to work when we don’t feel well? But going to work when sick has likely consequences, such as reduced productivity, higher risks of workplace injuries, spread of influenza and other diseases, and increased cost to employers. Some of these negative results may be avoided if employees have access to paid sick days.

Today, many employees are provided paid sick days either through employer policies, city ordinance, or state law...

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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...

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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...

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