employees tagged posts

Why I Talk About My Depression.

Shirley Cresci

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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A Patient’s Guide to Taking Medical Time Off Work

Paul Pendler

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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Across the Country, More Employers Adopt Paid Sick Leave, Including Mental Health Leave. What’s Happening in Your State?

Andy Baker-White, JD, MPH, Associate Director
The Network for Public Health Law – Mid-States Region
www.networkforphl.org

How many of us go to work when we don’t feel well? But going to work when sick has likely consequences, such as reduced productivity, higher risks of workplace injuries, spread of influenza and other diseases, and increased cost to employers. Some of these negative results may be avoided if employees have access to paid sick days.

Today, many employees are provided paid sick days either through employer policies, city ordinance, or state law...

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How’s Work Going for You? Your Mental Health Provider Should Be Asking.

Depression is the number one cause of disability in the United States. In this week’s post Dr. Jorge Petit provides guidance on how clinicians can support individuals in attaining success at work and assist them in staying employed.

How’s Work Going for You? Your Mental Health Provider Should Be Asking.
Jorge R. Petit, M.D.

In last week’s post Ken Dolan-Delvecchio shared that mental health professionals underestimate the impact of work on a person’s mental health and explored how work can aid a person’s recovery.

As a psychiatrist, I can—unfortunately—confirm that employment and empl...

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Why Work Matters: Rethinking the Role of Work in Mental Health Treatment

Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio

Care for Your Mind kicks off a new series on workplace issues. Given that depression is the number one cause of disability in the United States, more needs to be done to accommodate employees’ mental health in the workplace. In the first post, Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio explains the value of work and the role employers can play in supporting good mental health.

Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio, LMFT, LCSW, DVS, CEAP, SPHR
Vice President, Health and Wellness, Prudential Financial, Inc.

Because most of us spend the majority of our waking hours at work, what happens there greatly affects many dimensions of our...

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Workplace Mental Health with Bob Boorstin

During last week’s Kennedy Forum, we had the opportunity sit down with the moderator of the “Getting into the Workplace – and Getting the Most Out of It” panel, Bob Boorstin. The former Director of Public Policy at Google and Clinton Administration official hosted a valuable discussion with panelists on learning to be comfortable and open with your mental health condition in the workplace. “There’s no question that sharing information about our mental health issues will be positive,” said Boorstin, who echoed his opinion in a short video interview after the panel.

An Interview with B...

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Are You Working While Ill?

baker-whiteMyths and Facts About Paid Sick Leave

Andy Baker-White, JD, MPH, Associate Director
The Network for Public Health Law – Mid-States Region
www.networkforphl.org

When you’re not feeling well, do you go to work? Many of us go to our workplace when we’re not feeling well because staying home can mean lost wages, increased workload, missed shifts or deadlines, and loss of momentum on projects. While legislation can’t help with most of that, some states and cities have moved to require employers to provide paid sick time to employees. Eliminating one worry – loss of pay – can entice people to stay home when sick, and thereby help to prevent people from getting sicker, infecting others, and adversely impacting the workplace. In today’s CFYM post, Andy Baker-White reveals truths and untruths about paid sick leave.

It can be difficult for many workers to stay home from work when they are sick. Those who do choose to stay home when sick often suffer lost wages and run the risk of being fired. In fact,

  • close to 40 percent of private-sector U.S. employees do not receive any sort of paid sick days
  • 11 percent of respondents to a 2008 survey by the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center reported losing a job after taking time off from work for an illness
  • 13 percent in the same survey, said they were told they would be fired or suspended if they missed work because of illness

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How Can Mental Health Screening Help?

For more information on participating in National Depression Screening Day, please contact Michelle Holmberg at (781) 239-0071 or by email. Information is also available at mentalhealthscreening.org and helpyourselfhelpothers.org.

Screening for Mental Health

Do you think mental health screening can help address deficiencies in our nation’s approach to diagnosing and treating mood disorders? Policymakers certainly think so: mental health screening is an essential component of several pieces of legislation, incorporating the finding that early detection of mental health conditions increases the likelihood of successful treatment.

Mental health screening is private and anonymous, cost-effective, quick, and accessible, and it provides information and encouragement for people to seek help early. This Thursday is National Depression Screening Day, so there’s still time to rally your network to participate! Here, the nonprofit organization Screening for Mental Health tells why screening is important and how it supports workplace mental health.

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