Depression and sick leave
The National Alliance on Mental Alliance reports that one in five adults suffers from depression each year. Knowing how major depressive disorder affects your personal and professional life will help you identify the signs and hopefully prompt you to seek the right help and treatment.
Depression isn’t just about having a bad day. Depression is a mental health disorder that negatively affects the way you feel, think and behave, thus decreasing your ability to function normally at home and at work.
How does depression affect your ability to work?
If you’re dealing with depression or anxiety, you already know that you can’t stop your symptoms when you get to work. Symptoms accompany you wherever you go and it’s only natural that they should. A person who feels depressed and unmotivated is not just having a “bad day” at work. They face a string of bad days that not only affect their mental health, but also their their work performance and often their relationships with colleagues.
What are the levels at which depression negatively interferes with work?
YOUR SAFETY
Sleep disturbances, sometimes severe, are common symptoms of depression and anxiety. Without proper sleep hygiene, a person can lose concentration and coordination. This can lead to serious consequences if the person is managing machinery or working in a potentially dangerous environment (e.g. working with chemicals, working at height, etc.).
DEADLINES
A person who is depressed or anxious finds it hard to concentrate. This is often reflected in employee productivity, which will be reduced. An employee suffering from depression will find it harder to complete routine tasks and miss deadlines.
INCREASED NUMBER OF MISTAKES
When a person is not able to concentrate sufficiently, they are prone to make more mistakes. An employee with depression can’t fully concentrate on the job or the task at hand because their mind is occupied by the conditions they are experiencing. While small mistakes can be overlooked for a while, they can multiply and lead to poor work performance. Serious mistakes can put a person’s job at risk.
PROBLEMS WITH OTHER EMPLOYEES
Depression and anxiety can cause a person to experience distorted perceptions as well as increased irritability. This can lead to miscommunication and even unpleasant events that affect the organisational culture/work environment. A depressed person may find it difficult to hide their feelings and experiences from colleagues, which can have a negative impact on the work environment and relationships with others.
ABSENTEEISM
People suffering from depression may experience symptoms that make it difficult to go to work. Anxiety and depression can manifest themselves in physical symptoms just like stress. It is not uncommon for people suffering from depression to experience severe headaches and gastrointestinal problems that require them to use sick leave.
What does depression look like from the outside, through the eyes of co-workers?
Empathy is often lacking within companies and corporations. When you don’t put yourself in the shoes of those experiencing emotional distress you tend to view them as people who:
- 🚩 procrastinating too much;
- 🚩 are lazy, under-motivated or don’t care about their job;
- 🚩 are withdrawn and don’t integrate into the collective;
- 🚩 don’t get complicated when it comes to physical appearance/don’t care;
- 🚩 they have no self-confidence;
- 🚩 don’t have good communication skills;
- 🚩 are accident prone, miss deadlines, run late and make countless mistakes;
When the person experiencing depression notices how they are viewed and treated by others, they automatically deepen their previous feelings of anxiety and sadness. In an attempt to correct others’ perceptions of him/her, he/she may work overtime, with long hours leading to worsening symptoms rather than solving problems.
Can these labels mistakenly placed by others be changed?
Yes! The first step is to admit that you are not well, that you are experiencing a problem and that you are going through a more difficult period in your life. By acknowledging this to your employer and co-workers, these labels will begin to disappear because others will understand that they are due to a health problem and not a behavioural problem or lack of responsibility.
How to survive the work days when you’re dealing with depression?
GET INFORMED
It’s important to know as much as possible about a condition you are experiencing at any given time, whatever its nature. Recognising the symptoms of depression is the first step to help you take action when your health and well-being are affected.
IA PAUZE
When you feel like you’re on the verge of burnout or if you simply feel overwhelmed, dare to take a few days off. This way you can avoid overwork and therefore a deterioration of your well-being. If at the end of your leave you don’t see improvements, it’s time for the next step.
SEEK HELP / TREATMENT
Suppose you just found out you have diabetes. In that case you’d put work aside and get busy looking for the right treatment, right? Depression is no different from other chronic illnesses. And the first step, after awareness, is a visit to a mental health specialist for a medical diagnosis.
Find out more about the services and insurance offered by your job
Depression is an episodic condition, but it can become chronic, so it is important to recognise and treat it as soon as possible. When you don’t feel well, take a day off and go to the consult. Trust that no one will kick you out. In addition, you don’t have to mention what the specific problem you are experiencing is – the argument that you are not feeling well physically or mentally should be enough. Check whether your workplace provides confidential mental health services and check whether your health insurance may cover part of your treatment, which involves psychological counselling and medication.
Find your own ways to help you get through the working day
It’s normal to feel overwhelmed by inner feelings and feelings when you’re dealing with depression. To regain some of that control back, find out what this feeling gives you (maybe you need more time allocated to getting things done, maybe it would help to have a list of priorities and demands from your superiors, or maybe it would help to share your tasks with a colleague or ask them to supervise you).
Courage! Talk to your boss about the problem you’re facing
If you had the flu you could easily communicate this to your bosses and colleagues. We know that when it comes to mental health, the stigma projected onto it makes this discussion difficult. However, once you’ve checked out the policies found at work and the flow you need to follow, you can talk to one of the people you trust at work, someone you feel comfortable being authentic around – whether it’s your supervisor, manager or HR colleagues.
Be patient with yourself and offer compassion
It’s normal to have all sorts of fears and thoughts about how depression can affect your job or relationships with others. Being critical of yourself and blaming yourself for not being able to function normally is not going to help. Instead, opening up to others might make you realise that you are not alone and remind you that you can actually count on others. The most important step, however, is to first try to be kind to yourself.
Health = body-mind-soul
You can’t be healthy if one of these plans creaks. So, on your way to getting better, starting psychotherapy and medication are not enough for healing. Rest, nutrition and sport are just as important to your wellbeing as are the little things that bring you joy, such as time for hobbies and pastimes.
Ask for or offer support
One of the common traits of people experiencing depression is isolation. When you tend to isolate yourself, it’s healthy to try to get out of your comfort zone and talk to others – not necessarily about problems, but about anything else that might distract you from them. When you’re on the other side of the problem, you can be of real help to your colleague who is experiencing depression. Ask your colleagues how they feel, invite them with you on breaks and practice non-judgmental compassion.
Anticipate triggers
Analyse which factors at work are deepening your depression. Whether it’s working overtime, tight deadlines, colleagues you don’t collaborate with effectively – try to find your own triggers and find solutions to anticipate and manage them. Talk to your psychiatrist about adjusting medication doses during this period or with your psychotherapist about increasing the number of psychotherapy sessions, take more breaks, talk to trusted colleagues, breathe consciously, etc. Over time, you’ll develop a whole set of resources to help you more easily overcome periods that weigh you down.
Why is it important to take sick leave when dealing with depression?
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health – and prioritising self-care over work, whether it’s the flu or depression, is absolutely necessary.
Unfortunately, many employees are afraid to discuss their mental health at work. Fear of the stigma associated with these conditions can make them worry about the repercussions the condition may have on their job (e.g. job loss, inability to find another job, etc.).
The request for sick leave for mental health reasons is perfectly valid. A day off can give you time to practice self-care, helping you get back to your routine feeling calmer and refreshed.
In your free time, you can use some science-backed activities to relieve depression, such as journaling, exercising or spending time in nature. You can also spend time learning about the problem you are facing and seeking the help you need, such as psychotherapy sessions.
Why is it important to offer sick leave for emotional conditions when you are in the position of an employer?
When it comes to mental health, it is not only the employee who suffers, but the whole company in terms of: productivity, employee satisfaction, a work environment that can become conflictual, grievances that can turn into accusations of discrimination, loss of valuable employees for the company, etc.
More and more employers are beginning to understand that mental health and well-being in the workplace are important and can become costly when ignored.
Depression costs U.S. employers an estimated $44 billion each year in lost productivity. About half of employees with depression are not treated.
However, with appropriate treatment, both medication and non-medication, and social and family support, people with depression can be cured.
Bibliography:
- https://ifeelonline.com/en/occupational-health/mental-health-sick-leave/
- https://psychcentral.com/depression/what-to-say-when-calling-in-sick-with-depression#phrases-to-use
- https://www.healthassured.org/blog/mental-health-sick-leave/
- https://oshwiki.osha.europa.eu/en/themes/return-work-after-sick-leave-due-mental-health-problems
- https://hbr.org/2018/03/when-you-need-to-take-time-off-work-for-mental-health-reasons
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00420-021-01703-0
- https://www.geminitms.com/how-depression-affects-work-performance/
- https://workplacementalhealth.org/mental-health-topics/depression
- https://www.priorygroup.com/blog/depression-at-work
- https://psychcentral.com/depression/depression-at-work#how-to-cope
Author: Dr. Oana Nantu – Specialist Psychiatrist
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