Even when they have been successfully treated, employees who suffer from depression could cause problems in terms of absence management for their employees, it has been reported.
According to Thomson Reuters, workers suffering from the condition take more days off sick than their healthy counterparts, as even after taking antidepressants, the illness can impact on productivity.
A study by Sanofi Aventis claims managers could benefit from improved treatments for their staff members who are experiencing depression, as such therapies could actually result in savings for employers, Reuters reports.
Suellen Curkendall, director of outcomes research at Thomson Reuters, said: “Despite the widely acknowledged effectiveness of antidepressant therapy, productivity costs related to depression persist even after patients receive treatment.”
It is believed this could be due to either the patients not responding well to the first antidepressant they are prescribed or failing to take their medication.
Ann McCracken, chair of the International Stress Management Association UK, recently advised managers and HR staff dealing with a workforce under stress to ensure they communicate with their employees and take care not to overload them with work.
With respect I question the conclusions reported here and the potential commercial interest of the sponsors. This appears to be a marketing opportunity for anti-depressants.
Most individuals – at all levels of organisations to top managers – are likely to suffer brief periods of depression typically once every three years, sometimes more or less frequently. This appears to be an essential stage of responding to major changes in work or personal life (psychological transition periods).
Hostile responses from employers are more likely to delay the natural recovery process that can occur within 2-4 weeks – without medication.
See http://www.eoslifework.co.uk/transprac.htm and the new Handbook of Stressful Life Events across the Lifespan, Springer NY 2010.
There has been a long culture of pathologising normal and predictable fluctations in mental health in the UK, stereotyping against individuals involved. In extreme cases of distress and longer term clinical depression I acknowledge the potential value of medication. But how often have pharmaceutical companies funded and published research into human beings’ natural resilience to trauma or change without chemical interventions? HR specialists need regular access to experienced Occupational Health professionals and possibly Occupational Psychologists to understand non-pathologising assessments of staff and practical support.
HR and line managers may like to monitor performance in the period after a recent crisis. Such staff are likely to be more innovative, cooperative and with a clearer view of the current business environment in the recovery stage of transition than other staff who have not been challenged to update their outlook recently.
These comments are based on working with over 600 individuals through periods of career crisis or change over the last 20 years.
Early access to support is key to managing depression and mental health problems.More importantly prevention is always better than cure. The benefits of regular access to experienced occupational health provision (as identified by Dai Williams ) can not be underestimated. Sadly, all to often, organisations try to implement a reactive, sticking-plaster approach. At Work-Life Health, we work with organisations to help develop and maintain a wellness culture rather than merely responding to ill health issues.Linking this article to the HSE Management Standards, my own findings and recent research, a large proportion of causes of psychological ill health relate to issues around relationships, control and demands both inside and outside work. At Work-Life Health, we now use advanced communication models to address these areas at an early stage and thus lessening the need for therapies and reducing the likelihood of sickness absence and associated costs to businesses.
Depression, in common with most forms of mental illness, is misunderstood and poorly treated. It is probably overdiagnosed in this country and some people who are prescribed anti-depressants are not going to get any benefit from them. Certainly many people who would benefit more from ‘talking’ treatment such as cognitive therapy are unable to access it, or will have to wait for maybe a year before they do.
Persistent depression causes serious disability, but sufferers are often regarded as being ‘unable to cope’ rather than as people who have a long term disability. It is not surprising that at times they cannot function in an environment where they feel stigmatised and their disability is not recognised.