If your workforce is typical of the rest of the country 2-4% of your workers are currently suffering from major depression, and 10-20% will experience a major depressive event at some time in their lives. Studies have shown that less than half of workers are receiving even minimal treatment for depression, even though more than 80% of people see improvement when they do receive appropriate treatment. The cost to U.S. employees and their employers, estimated to be $40-50 billion dollars annually, is significant, not only in dollars, but in terms of poor quality of life, absenteeism, poor work performance and even increased injuries, mistakes and accidents.
"A worker with poorly managed depression costs their employer between $3,000 and $4,000 more than the typical employee in medical costs and decreased productivity," says Barry Bunting, Clinical Manager of Pharmacy at Mission Hospitals. "The good news is that the majority of these individuals can lead normal productive lives if they seek treatment. The problem is that a significant number of workers do not recognize they have depression, and even when they realize they have a problem, they do not get help. This is true especially for men."
Although about twice as many women have depression, women are much more likely to seek help than men. And even though women attempt suicide more often than men, men are four times as likely to die from suicide! Symptoms like increasing irritability, lack of energy and loss of interest in work or hobbies can be signs of depression that men may misread as just a stretch of bad days. "Sometimes men feel that asking for help is an admission of being less than a man," says Bunting. "They worry that someone will find out and think less of them, or that it could endanger their job. So they just keep plodding along until sometimes a stretch of bad days turns into months or years."
Whether by their doctor, a trusted pastor or priest, or a trained counselor through an employee assistance program, men and women in the workplace need to be encouraged to seek help. Employers can make a difference by creating an environment that expresses an understanding of what depression is, and an acceptance that it is as real as having other chronic conditions such as asthma or diabetes.
Sometimes people get very depressed after a death in the family, a divorce or major financial problems. But at other times, like with other illnesses, depression just happens. "Depression is common, it is costly, and it can affect anyone," says Bunting. "But in a vast majority of cases, it can be treated effectively and people can lead long and productive lives if they get the help they need."
For more information on how to handle depression in the workplace, go to www.nimh.gov.
