BECAUSE THE SYMPTOMS ARE ONES THAT
CAN AFFECT ANYONE FROM TIME TO TIME,
IT IS EASY TO SEE HOW EARLY ANXIETY AND
DEPRESSION OFTEN GET OVERLOOKED.
are focused on mild mental illness all the
more critical.
In-house campaigns that raise awareness
of mild anxiety and depression don’t need
to be elaborate or costly. To start, employees
should know the early signs of anxiety
and depression (which often go hand-inhand)
so that they can take them seriously
and take early action to address them.
Common early signs of depression
include: difficulty concentrating and making
decisions, irritability, fatigue, sleep
and appetite changes and loss of interest
in activities or hobbies that used to be
pleasurable. Common early signs of generalized
anxiety disorder include excessive
worry and tension, irritability, difficulty
concentrating and difficulty sleeping.
This brief overview of symptoms highlights
both the overlap between depression
and anxiety and the commonality of the
symptoms. Because the symptoms are
ones that can affect anyone from time to
time, it is easy to see how early anxiety and
depression often get overlooked. In turn,
presenteeism gets overlooked. The more
employees and employers understand the
symptoms, the more likely they are to take
action on them.
In addition, employees should have a
clear understanding of their mental health
benefits – from EAP phone counselling
to insurance for in-person sessions with
psychologists. Just like employees know
that an occasional massage can help maintain
physical wellness, they should know
that they don’t have to be in crisis to access
mental health resources. One or two
counselling sessions when an employee
first notices that they are feeling depressed
or anxious can go a long way to helping
prevent greater problems down the road.
Ultimately, it is clear that employers
want to do right by their employees when
it comes to mental health. The decreased
stigma on the topic is evidence of this and,
in many cases, awareness efforts have been
driven by caring employers. In order for
stigma to fully lift, it will be important
to focus efforts on early, milder forms of
mental illness. n
Jeff Perron is the founder of the TruReach
Mental Health app.
health & wellness
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46 ❚ FEBRUARY 2016 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL