Is there a link between current HR issues such as layoffs or restructuring and mental health issues?
It’s hard to say. One would suppose that there would be more anxiety; I couldn’t tell you if there are more visits to doctor’s offices. We [the MDAO] are always busy. Mood disorders just don’t take a holiday. You mentioned EAPs and Checkupfromtheneckup.ca. What other resources are available for employers and employees? We’ve got wonderful fact sheets that we can PDF and send along. We help to produce a guide called Mental Illness at Work: A Go-to Guide for Managers. That’s got a lot of hard copy and Web-based resources. There’s a program out of B.C. called Antidepressant Skills at Work. It’s geared to employees, but there are some very good resources there. Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario has Mental Health Works, which tends to pick up where we leave off in terms of the more in-depth consultation. Companies are getting increasingly used to prevention and early intervention. They’re doing it for diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease—why does it stop at our neck? It’s l
