FundaMENTAL Health Makes Bottom Line Sense

“We have irritable employees. We miss too many deadlines. We have a lot of workers out sick. Workplace injuries are a huge problem. Productivity is down because of stress and anxiety. Negativity is a bummer and drags us down.”

I hear these concerns constantly. Every employer, big and small, experiences these kinds of problems, but did you know untreated depression takes a hefty toll on the American workplace, costing at least $30 billion each year in lost productivity? And that is a conservative estimate for depression alone. More workers are absent from work because of stress and anxiety than because of physical illness or injury according to the National Business Group on Health.

Mental illness short-term disability claims are growing by 10% annually and can account for 30% or more of the corporate disability experience for the typical employer.

Because mental illness affects 26.2% of our population in any given year, it should not be a surprise that both white collar and blue collar workers are greatly affected by mental illness.

While some employees with mental health conditions do not recognize symptoms, others ignore obvious signs while erroneously believing their symptoms will just go away. Both of these situations lead directly to problems for both the employee and employer.

Most employers know that a mentally healthy workforce is linked to lower medical costs, as well as less absenteeism and presenteeism (the person is present, but not productive). And most employers know that a mentally unhealthy workforce is associated with increased loss of productivity. What employers may not know is how to get from A to B: how does a company change a mentally unhealthy workplace – or a marginally healthy one – to a healthy workplace? Where does it start?

Phase 1: Evaluate Your Current Programs. Question your health plan or behavioral health vendor. Do you know what your health plan covers? Do you have an EAP (Employee Assistance Plan)? EAP interventions have been shown to produce rapid improvements in work performance. In Licking County, the Kraner Campus offers Work/Life Solutions employee assistance services. Call Pat Bringardner at 740-345-5074 extension #3 for their services.

Calculate the cost of depression and alcoholism in your workplace quickly by using free Web-based tools, such as the depression and alcohol calculators. See www.depressioncalculator.com and www.alcoholcostcalculator.org

Phase 2: Construct Your New Programs. Conduct an employee awareness program about depression, anxiety and substance abuse. Mental Health America of Licking County can provide this program, including educating managers about mental disorders and mental health screening. Early identification of mental disorders can save money, and screening for mental illness is one of the most effective tools available. It can be done anonymously and engages many individuals who wouldn’t otherwise seek help for mental illness because they are ashamed, afraid, or in denial. Call MHALC at 740-522-1341.

Phase 3: Strengthen Your Programs: Integrate all healthcare services (such as behavioral health, other medical illnesses, pharmacy, disability disease management, and EAPs) to improve patient outcomes, reduce time away from work, and minimize the cost and impact of mental health conditions on the workplace and healthcare costs. IBM did and saved $500,000 in outpatient costs in one year.

Treatment works, people recover, fundaMENTAL health makes bottom line sense. 80% of people with depression will recover fully with appropriate diagnosis, treatment and monitoring compared to just over 40% for heart disease.

Call me, Paddy Kutz at 522-1341 or email me at paddykutz@alink.com for more information and help to promote good mental health and wellness in the workplace.

Mental Health America of Licking County is a member agency of Mental Health America, United Way and Community Mental Health & Recovery Board.

Paddy Kutz,
Executive Director
Mental Health America of Licking County