The Monday morning blues is one thing, but what happens when that feeling is extended for the whole week and beyond?

Workplace depression has the potential to be the biggest challenge facing businesses in the next decade.  A recent media advertising campaign highlighted the need to remove the stigma of mental illness but given the fact that mental health will vary from person to person, this could make the potential problem more difficult for companies to identify and manage effectively.

According to a recent study the World Health Organisation cites depression as the fourth most significant cause of suffering and disability, after heart disease, cancer and traffic accidents.  By 2020 it will rank second behind heart disease.  Calculations will vary as to what the cost of this will be to businesses in terms of absenteeism and loss of production, however it is fair to say that they will not be so insignificant as to be easily dismissed.  Different reports have put the annual costs anywhere between €3 and €32 billion.

It would be expected that a certain level of scepticism would surround such figures as these.  To show how extensive a problem this may become, medical experts have recently said that there are now in existence some 300 mental disorders, as diagnosed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the bible of many psychiatric professionals.  The manual defines Mental Disorders as,

 ‘inappropriate or exaggerated responses to situations; excessive restlessness; drowsiness; worrying excessively; reduced confidence; mood swings; indecisiveness; poor concentration; lethargy; social withdrawal; irritability or anger….etc’

The list is extensive.  However, there are very few people who don’t experience several of these symptoms in the course of the average working week.  The difficulties facing businesses in the times ahead will be to identify when a person has gone from the common ‘having a bad day’ to the point where their mental health is at risk.

It is understandable that some employers who have to shoulder the burden of absence will worry that situations where people with mental health concerns are being encountered too frequently and that an opinion of ‘get over it’ will emerge.  It would be hoped that not all companies will assume this stance.  One such company is BT.  They have adopted a view that mental ill-health is increasing for a reason as basic as the fact that modern life is more stressful and more difficult for people.  They also believe that cynicism around this issue could lead to people with serious problems not being given the support and understanding that they deserve.  With a view to achieving this, and similar goals, in 2002 BT introduced the BT Work Fit Positive Mentality awareness programme.  The programme focuses on Prevention, Intervention and Support.  This programme has been credited with a drop in absenteeism levels from 3.6% in 2002 to its current level of 2.4%.

So how can employers and companies deal with this potentially enormous difficulty?  The solution is possibly already in existence in some workplaces.  A Policy of Mental Health at Work should be considered as part of the standard company Safety Manual. Companies should also ensure that a culture which encourages a stigma around Mental Health Illness is not being allowed to develop, thereby making it more difficult for any person who feels like they may have a Mental Health problem to seek professional advice, or to report their situation.

In many ways, a system similar to that of the recent Dignity at Work Policy would be effective whereby people are aware of the existence of company policy which explains how to go about raising an issue, who to contact and how the situation will be dealt with. Much like the bullying and harassment, where a person has made the decision to report their symptoms and request assistance, they will require the full support of the company, and not be made to feel like they are the topic of discussion around the lunch table.