Depression And The Workplace

Recently, a patient who had been working at the same company for the last 22 years presented with low mood, problems sleeping at night, low appetite, feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness and suicidal thoughts for a month.

- Professor Dr Philip George

These symptoms started after his new manager changed his roles and responsibilities. His new role was very challenging, and he felt illequipped for the position. Work was the second most important thing to him after his family and at home his two children were nearing the age to go to University who depended heavily on his income. He approached his manager and instead of being compassionate, he put my patient on probation at work, threatened him with termination if he didn’t improve his performance. His wife was working so she suggested that he resigns if he really can’t cope.

How can we make the workplace kinder, more compassionate, wiser about mental health struggles, and less punitive towards people who contribute to the workplace but who sometimes struggle, through no fault or choice of their own?

According to the 2017 National Health and Morbidity Survey, 29 percent of Malaysians have depression and anxiety disorder compared with 12 percent in 2011. Major depressive disorder is reported to affect about 10 to 15 percent of most populations around the world including developing nations like ours.

According to a Harvard University survey, 6 percent of employees experienced symptoms of depression in any given year. A 2003 study in the US reported that employers lose an estimated USD44 billion every year due to workers with clinical depression (Walter F. Stewart, PhD, MPH, Geisinger Health Systems).