How workplace conversations about behavioral health can maximize our career potential
Dr. Shirley Cresci, Director, Behavioral Health Services, Prudential

I was diagnosed with dysthymia—persistent mild depression—several decades ago. Prior to my diagnosis and treatment, depression robbed me of joy and my authenticity. Because it was not debilitating depression that kept me from getting out of bed each day, however, I minimized it. I convinced myself my sadness and low self-worth was just me, not any kind of problem.

I experienced the effect of my depression through all aspects of my life, but especially in my early work choices. As a single mother with no college degree and a poor sense of self-confidence, I pursued jobs that were outside of my goals and ambitions. My past work life was about underachievement.

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Five tips to shift workplace culture and create a space for open dialogue about mental health

Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio
Vice President, Health and Wellness, Prudential

The silence that surrounds mental health issues is often the result of shame and fear. This is particularly true in the workplace, where many worry they will suffer professional consequences if their co-workers and supervisors learn of their behavioral health challenges.

Sometimes, however, people keep silent about behavioral health issues simply because there is no space for such conversations in their workplace. If there is no precedent for initiating these sorts of conversations and people are not invited to share information about behavioral health matters, they likely will not feel comfortable discussing them. And so they remain silent, unsure of how—or where—to raise the topic.

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Paul Pendler, Psy.D., ABPP
Assistant Professor, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine,
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences

When mental health issues arise, all areas of a person’s life tend to suffer—work included. Under certain circumstances, people with mental health conditions may need to seek time off from employment in order to focus on recovery and restore functioning.

If you suspect you might need time off for mental health reasons, listed below are some helpful guidelines for how to engage your practitioner and your workplace on this issue.

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Robert Haggard, CRSS
Recovery Support Specialist
Turning Point Behavioral Health Care Center, Skokie IL

The answer is a resounding yes, there are alternatives to emergency departments (EDs) for psychiatric emergencies. Person-centric, community-based crisis interventions found outside of traditional emergency departments serve a population with much-need, save lives and money, and offer hope. The Turning Point Behavioral Health Care Center (TP) where I work is a viable, safe, accessible, welcoming, warm, and caring space that has provided an alternative to EDs since 2011 with an amazing 97% deflection rate from the hospitals in its surrounding area.

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Caroline HeeJeon Gale

I am person with bipolar disorder and a suicide attempt survivor. Bipolar disorder has affected my family and me in many hard ways, but it has also encouraged my family to express how much we mean to each other, and how much I mean to them. I would not have made it through without their love and support, and I probably would not be here to tell my story if I hadn’t had the kind of individualized care I received from my county mental health system.

My family emigrated from Korea to the United States when I was 10 years old. As symptoms of my mood disorder surfaced within the next couple of years, my parents, whose primary language is Korean, had difficulty accessing resources in our community. They were supportive, but because of language barriers and unfamiliarity with the mental health care system, they had limited ability to act on their concerns and to help me. Without the aid of translators, my parents would be excluded from participating in my mental health care and treatment.

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We asked and you responded! Here are some of the great answers we received; please add your wish in the comments below. Let us know what you think!

I wish that more companies come to understand the incredible opportunity they have to reduce stigma and help people access needed treatment for mental illnesses.
Clare Miller, director of the Partnership for Workplace Mental Health, APA Foundation

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Spurred to action by a number of mass shooting tragedies, various commissions in Washington were created to seek a solution to the pervasive problem of mass violence in our society. A call to reform the delivery of mental health care was a central component of that effort. As a result of this discussion, members of both the U.S. House and Senate drafted mental health reform legislation. Summaries of the two key bills follow, along with a glimpse at the positions of a couple of mental health advocacy groups.

Highlights of the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of 2015 (HR 2646)
This comprehensive bill, introduced by Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA), joined by Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) as the lead Democrat on the bill, includes provisions that cut a broad swath across mental health care, standards, funding, and practice:

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Farha Abbasi M.D, Assistant Professor, Psychiatry Department, Michigan State Univverisity

Imagine being alone in a new country — unable to speak the language, surrounded by an unfamiliar culture, and forced to leave your entire life behind. This is the reality for many immigrants around the world.

In the year 2000, I left Pakistan to come to the U.S. Although I immigrated willingly to pursue a career in medicine, the experience was painful and frightening nonetheless.

As I embarked on my subsequent career as a psychiatrist and professor, I came to realize I was not alone in my experience. Immigration, even when it’s by choice, can cause serious trauma, and for many it becomes a significant risk factor for mental health concerns. In addition, faith — a powerful force for many immigrants — is often overlooked or ignored by care providers.

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