Depression Overwhelm in Corporate World!

This is a “Depression Era”.

Prediction from World Health Organization (WHO) shows depression might overtake heart attack and cancer 20 years from now, becoming world most common disease. There are 3-5 person out of 100 people suffer from depression currently, the world’s 300 million people population are caught in this “blue storm”.

Anyone might be the candidate for depression.

It might be people around you, e.g. colleagues, staffs, or your own self.

How to deal with someone who is caught in depression at the workplace?

How to help him in getting out from the valley, and return to work?

Avoid the spread of depression in order in moving enterprise forward?

The acknowledgment, attitude and approach from boss and department supervisors are the key point when someone is caught in depression at workplace. If the supervisor provides the right acknowledgment, understand that the staff that is caught in depression is actually sick, like cancer and heart attack; he or she needs help, and even recommend and urge him or her to go for treatment. Furthermore, showing empathy and support, then the employee will be easier to walk out from the shadow of depression; return to normal work and life.

In another hand, if supervisor ignores it, or try to resolve the issue improperly, this will not just put the subordinate to a greater pressure, worsen the condition, but also harass other employees within the same department, affects the performance and morale of the department.

Researcher has come across such an example once:

One lady employee in a small enterprise has experience auditory illusion, hallucination, and even try to attack her colleague, e.g. harass her colleague who has a good relationship working with her for many years, by putting thumbtack or some smelly stuffs on her chair, which has worry and trouble her colleague so much.

Nevertheless, the supervisor of that department is actually the sick patient’s brother. Due to some personal factors, as the head of department, he did not actually interfere and try to resolve the issue, e.g. sending his sister for treatment; allowing her to take leaves or having unpaid leaves for a period of time. According to the explanation of employees from the department, although they were scared, angry, worry and puzzled, but they have no idea how to deal with the sick patient.

The head of department will bear more responsibility and pressure indeed when employees show symptoms of mental problems. They must be particular careful in communication with the patients. “As you are not dealing with healthy people generally, furthermore it might be load of pressures, and unintentional words might be the last straw that overwhelms the failing patient.

Utilize the resources, Group Support from Department Staffs

In order to have correct understand on depression, also how to help the people around you when they are diagnose with depression, there are many available resource to use in current society which includes various reports, books, seminars, etc, Besides, enterprise and supervisor or head of department could also seek help from professionals to receive guides in how to face the problem.

Moreover, the enterprise could schedule psychology counselors or other psychology professionals to provide speeches, consultations for the staffs so that it will be easier for them to handle pressures, depression or other mental illness. Depth understanding could help them in aware of their emotional problems, but also how to help their loved ones, friends, and colleagues in challenging the disease.

The more people know the better. If you only know half, not fully understand, there would be limited help to the patients. Bringing depression patient for cycling, travel, involve in all sorts of positive activities that improve the disease, however you didn’t remind patient to do one important thing – which is to see doctor for treatment; in fact if the patient only taking medication, but did not adjust his or her lifestyle, for example regular exercise, release stress, adequate sleep, etc, will also affect the disease’s progression.

The best thing to do is to accept treatment and adjust the lifestyle.

In the entire department or division, if everyone starting from the head of department or supervisor to staffs have a correct understanding and working and support together, the patient will normally recover faster and more smoothly. This will further improve the cooperation within the department.

As conclusion from the professionals, when someone around you has diagnosed with depression, you could:

i. Encourage him or her accept professional help and treatment

- Depression is like heart attack and cancer; it is a kind of disease and need treatment. 80% of the patients have shown improvement with correct and proper treatment.

ii. Show care and support

- Often remind him or her to have medication on time, accept treatment, and the condition will certainly improve. When you discover his or her condition has improved, tell him or her immediately, is a way of showing support.

- If you really don’t know what to say, being a good “listener” will be a good option. Try to listen to his or her thoughts, feelings, and do not try to criticize, e.g. “Stop thinking like that”, or “Do not try to sink yourself deeper”, will not help the patient.