Future tense, present imperfect

It is an epidemic of depression. Drawing attention to this less understood mental condition, a study reveals that one in every working professional in the country is suffering from depression! Techies, analysts, accountants, auditors, sales executives… none is spared. Experts suggest that individuals should take clues and seek help if they are suffering from anxiety or depression. Companies too should consider absenteeism and continuous sick leaves by their employee as a sign of work-related stress and depression and take remedial action. If untreated or undiagnosed, depression could lead to serious diseases, reports  Joyeeta Chakravorty

“She just broke down one day and I had no idea how to handle the situation. I anyway took time out and spoke to her and tried to pacify her," says a team leader at a private MNC about a colleague, who had  received a very bad performance rating.  

Such incidents are not rare in corporate offices, which are seeing a rise in depression and work-related stress among their employees. A report on ‘The Mental Health Status of Employees in Corporate India’ by 1to1Help.net, a professional counselling company for corporates, reveals that 80 per cent of 6000 employees of various organisations in multiple cities, exhibited symptoms of anxiety and 55 per cent of depression. These employees admitted to have been suffering these symptoms for over a year before seeking professional help.

The study also found that the number of people at risk for suicidal behavior had gone up from 2.1 out of 10  in 2008  to 8.21 in July 2016. The data was pooled from  results of two self-assessment tests on depression and anxiety taken by employees between July 2014 and July 2016 and self-help articles they had read over a period 15 years as well as their counselling data from 2006 to 2016.

In addition, the counsellors at 1to1Help.net  reported seeing an increase in the number of people approaching their employee assistance programme for concerns such as extreme anxiety and depression. “There was a rise in the number of people who were at risk for suicidal behavior. From a mere three to five people per week, we were beginning to see an average of two people per day who were at such risk. This called for action,” says Ms Archana Bisht, director, 1to1Help.net.

“Depression is a very common condition worldwide. Globally, an estimated 350 million people of all ages suffer from it. That is how common it is,” reveals Dr Mohan K Isaac, former HoD of the department of psychiatry at Nimhans, and associate professor at the University of Western Australia.

Read – Guest column: Look at the warning signs, seek help for mental health

“In the corporate structure there is a different work ethic which is good, but can affect a number of people differently. Many have a place to vent out the frustration, stress and anxiety or join stress buster programmes, but others may not have friends or other avenues to help them  keep stress at bay,” he explains, adding that work- related stress can have various reasons including work overload or underload, lack of clear responsibilities, job description, role ambiguity, unrealistic deadlines or  job and career uncertainty.

“There is this fear of losing the job or losing the promotion to someone else which leads to depression and hence employees should  find avenues to balance work and personal life. Many can but some cannot,” he notes.

In fact so common is depression today in ther city that the OPD at Nimhans is crowded each day with around 250 people, of whom some 35 per cent are battling different stages of it, according to mental health experts.

According to the World Health Organisation,common mental disorders are increasing worldwide. Between 1990 and 2013, the number of people suffering from depression and/or anxiety increased by nearly 50 per cent, from 416 million to 615 million. Close to 10 per cent  of the world’s population is affected, and mental disorders account for 30 per cent of the global non-fatal disease burden. Humanitarian emergencies and ongoing conflicts are adding to the numbers. WHO estimates that during emergencies, as many as 1 in 5 people are affected by depression and anxiety.

The age group being hit by depression has drastically reduced and now it is affecting the age bracket of 15-30 in the city, says Dr Chandrashekar, Professor and HOD, Department of Psychiatry, Victoria Hospital.

Companies should incorporate awareness programme, counselling
ePsyclinic.com, an online platform that provides mental health care through therapies and counselling services, conducts some 800 sessions a month for Bengaluru, and of these  upto 60 per cent are related to work pressure and job insecurities, 20 per cent to smoking and drug addiction (early stage) and the rest to adolescent issues such as love and career. “The average person not trained in psychology cannot interpret these symptoms easily. Mental stressors, anxiety and depression do have a chemical basis, but also more often than not, these stressors also have a life trigger,” says Ms Shipra Dawar, founder, ePsyclinic.com.

Ms V Vandana, consultant clinical psychologist at Vikram hospital in the city, stresses the need for an awareness programme and regular counselling sessions in companies. “Some companies have in-house counsellors, but a clinical psychologist is recommended for employees with depression and other such issues. In addition they could hold some group sessions once in two or three months and conduct some awareness campaigns as well to highlight the warning signs and tell employees whom to reach out to,” she says.

“Thankfully employees today are more informed, read web generated material and use the online help which is available. But the biggest problem is for people who  do not seek assistance either because they are not aware enough  or because there is no help available,” says Dr Mohan K Isaac, former HoD department of sychiatry), Nimhans, and WHO consultant, “Mental health is a much underrated health concern and does not receive the optimum importance that it should. Mental illnesses are often the leading causes for various physical ailments. With companies covering their employees’ health insurances, is mental health insured too? The need of the hour is to ensure that companies take the initiative to create a stress- free work environment by providing outlets for employees to voice their grievances and deal with their issues,” sums up Ms Archana Bisht, Director, 1to1Help.net

Work related stress

• Work overload or under-load
• Lack of clear responsibilities, job description, role ambiguity
• Unrealistic deadlines
• Job insecurity, career uncertainty
• Low participation in decision-making
• Isolated working conditions
• Poor communication
• Poor relationships with supervisors
• Interpersonal conflicts
• Non-supportive culture
• Underutilization of skill
• Work schedule – shifts, inflexible schedules
• Sexual harassment
• Work place bullying
• Demands on time - Dealing with time pressure
• Fear of failure
• Fear of making mistakes
• Doubts about choice of career
• Work related stress
• Some jobs may be more stressful than others
• Everyone’s level of stress tolerance is different
• What may stress one may not stress another
• Find out what aspects of work are stressful to an individual

Consequences of work related stress

• Absenteeism, sick leaves
• Physical ailments
• Poor work performance
• Accident proneness. accidents
• Tension and conflicts between staff
• Anxiety, harmful substance use
• Depression, suicidal ideation

Those who became unemployed had twice the risk of increased depressive symptoms and diagnosis of clinical depression than those who remain employed