Depression Survey.

[fozzy is crying]

This appeared on the BBC News website just over 20 minutes ago

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19759964

Hopefully it with the recent damning report on Mental Health Treatment coverage in England it might lead to changes to help us all. The full article to save you looking is this :-

http://stats.bbc.co.uk/o.gif?%7ERS%7Es%7ERS%7ENews%7ERS%7Et%7ERS%7EHighWe b_Story%7ERS%7Ei%7ERS%7E19759964%7ERS%7Ep%7ERS%7E9 9108%7ERS%7Ea%7ERS%7EDomestic%7ERS%7Eu%7ERS%7E/news/health-19759964%7ERS%7Er%7ERS%7Ehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19759964%7ERS%7Eq%7ERS%7Eprint=true%7ERS%7Ez%7ERS% 7E17%7ERS%7E



http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/img/1_0_1/cream/hi/news/news-blocks.gif (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/) Health




1 October 2012 Last updated at 00:20 One in 10 workers has taken time off for depression

One in 10 workers has taken time off because of depression, a poll of 7,000 people in seven European countries has found.
The Mori survey was carried out for the European Depression Association (EDA) in Britain, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Turkey, Spain and France.
Those in Britain, Denmark and Germany were most likely to be off work because of depression.
A UK expert said support for people with depression was improving.
Overall, 20% of the 7,000 polled had received a diagnosis of depression at some point in their lives.
The highest rate was in Britain, where 26% had been diagnosed and the lowest in Italy, where the figure was 12%.
Among workers experiencing depression, those in Germany (61%), Denmark (60%), and Britain (58%) were most likely to take time off work, while those in Turkey were the least likely (25%).
Researchers have previously estimated the cost of depression at €92bn (£73bn) in 2010 across the EU, with lost productivity due to time off or under-performance accounting for most of the costs.
An average of 36 days were taken for the last episode of depression - but figures ranged from 41 in Britain to 23 in Italy.
Across the countries surveyed, one in four of with depression said they did not tell their employer.
One in three of them said they were worried it could put their job at risk.
A third of the 792 managers surveyed said they had no formal support in place to help them deal with employees experiencing depression.
But the situation was better in Britain, with most of the 117 managers questioned reporting good back-up from their HR department.
'Attention and action' Dr Vincenzo Costigliola, president of the EDA, said "The results of the survey show that much needs to be done in raising awareness and supporting employees and employers in recognising and managing depression in the workplace.
"We ask policymakers to consider the impact of depression on the workforce and charge them with addressing depression and workers and workplace safety."
MEP Stephen Hughes, who holds the Employment and Social Affairs portfolio in the European Parliament, backs better support and protection for workers.
He said: "Depression in the workplace is an employment and societal challenge that is causing serious damage and which requires attention and action from the European Union."
Emer O'Neill, chief executive of the Depression Alliance, said the situation in the UK was improving.
"We have moved forward significantly. Depression and anxiety is being talked about more and is more widely recognised. GPs are more receptive.
"In addition, employers are increasingly coming to groups like us to help them provide support and put procedures in place to allow people to go through this illness like they would any other.

[Zingything]

An interesting read fozzy, thanks for posting.

[fozzy is crying]

An interesting read fozzy, thanks for posting.

No problem Zingy. The more society in general learn about the cost to ALL of mental health suffering the better I believe. It might also shake up the family and friends of some who do not understand or ignore the suffering when they find out it is costing them through their wallets either by taxes to provide services or extra costs of purchases because of employers loosing money do to the time people are taking off work. No matter how you look at it it costs everyone, suffers and non sufferers real money.

Gordon

[Zingything]

I agree fozzy. It will be interesting to see the results of your poll.

[nomorepanic]

One of the MAIN things that got me through anxiety and panic was to work.

Since I got made redundant and work part time I think I am definitely more depressed/down/miserable

[fozzy is crying]

I agree fozzy. It will be interesting to see the results of your poll.

Very true. I did not think to add a poll when I started the thread so added it after.

It is a pity I did not look to see if there was a way to add a drop down list of Countries as well but once set I cannot alter the poll details but I did set it for a long time. Also as you will have seen it is one vote per member not per visit. I will certainly be considering sending the results to my MP as in my he knows in my area alone the Mental Health Trust has been damned publicly on the same day the England report came out last month. He has been for over a year now trying to get the Secretary of State to take some action in my case and a lot of others in this area.

In his latest attempt is he has not had a reply to his letter which he copied to me not even an acknowledgement in over 6 weeks!!!!

Gordon

---------- Post added at 01:28 ---------- Previous post was at 01:22 ----------


One of the MAIN things that got me through anxiety and panic was to work.

Since I got made redundant and work part time I think I am definitely more depressed/down/miserable

Hi Nicola,

For those of us over 100 years old work is the worst 4 letter word in the English Language. lol

But seriously the last day I worked and then went on long sick leave was for about 30 minutes on the 2nd of January 1992. Not working again after that day I was medically retired never to work again on the 31st of October 1992. That was 27 days before my 44th birthday. Since I have spent most of the last 20 years fighting for not just my rights but others to get the right help. Once you are labelled unable to work again the system starts to deny you cover. Complain about it and you never will.

Gordon

[nomorepanic]

Can I ask why you were told you can never work again?

[yvonne_uk_98]

Hi ,

not done poll as really wouldnt know, only do voluntary work. sorry not in right frame of mind to answer. will answer it better frame of find.

[fozzy is crying]

Can I ask why you were told you can never work again?

Yes but privately. Nothing sinister.

[Serenitie]

I don't believe that people with mental health issues receive enough support to stay in work in comparison to their colleagues with physical health issues. I believe that this is largely due to the stigma that still surrounds mental health issues.

The law also seems less effective at supporting workers with mental health issues in cases of employment discrimination and recruitment.

The article below is 5 years old but I have seen little movement in the last 5 years. The majority of employers still feel that it is acceptable to verbalise that they would not knowingly employ an individual with a history of mental health issues.

In my experience this causes the majority of employees to hide their mental health issues from their employers and colleagues, which increases stress and prevents them from accessing a support network in the workplace.

These factors can increase the probability of an individual taking recurrent or long term sick leave which may jeopardise their employment and ultimately exclude them from the workplace in the short or long term.

Not working is not a choice that I have or would ever make. It is the position that I find myself in as the result of a combination of factors like many other people with mental health issues.

A lot of changes need to take place to enable workers with mental health issues to be supported and contribute within the workplace. This would benefit both the economy and the individual's ability to achieve their potential and regain a sense of purpose and self worth.

Mental health and employment: the facts

Mary O'Hara
Society Guardian, Wednesday 14 November 2007 00.00 GMT
· About 1 in 6 adults has a mental health problem.

· More than one million people claim incapacity benefit for mental health problems.

· Mental illness costs society £25bn a year, according to "happiness guru" Lord Layard.

· 3 in 10 employees will experience mental health problems during a single year.

· 80 million: the number of workdays estimated being lost each year to stress, depression and anxiety.

· 10%: an estimate of the proportion of GDP lost due to work-related stress.

· £9bn: an estimated cost per year of salaries to employers not addressing mental health problems in the workplace.

· People with mental health problems have the highest "want to work rate" [of out of work people] with up to 90% wanting to work.

· Only about 20% of people with severe mental health problems are employed, compared to 65% of people with physical health problems and 75% for the whole adult population. Even for people with more common types of mental illness, such as depression, only about half are competitively employed.

· In a survey of people who were "out" about their mental health problems at work found most colleagues to be accepting (65%).
However, only half said they had had the support they needed and 13% said they seldom or never had it. Some people reported being patronised by management or monitored more closely than other colleagues.

· One third of people with mental health problems say that they have been dismissed or forced to resign from their jobs.

· 40% say that they were denied a job because of their history of psychiatric treatment and about 60% say they have been put off applying for a job as they expect to be dealt with unfairly.

· 38%: the proportion of employers who say they would not employ someone with a mental illness.

· 45%: the proportion of employers who think none of their employees would be suffering from a mental health problem.

· 8 out of 10: the number of company directors who say their company has no formal policy to deal with stress and mental ill-health and only 14% of those that do felt it was effective.

· 1 in 3: the proportion of employers who think people with a mental illness are less reliable than other employees.

· 80%: the proportion of employers who agree that more support is required to improve the way businesses deal with mental health in the workplace.

Sources
Shift
Shaw Trust
Employers Forum on Disability
Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health
Mind
Rethink
Mental Health Foundation
Institute of Employment Studies
CBI
Social Exclusion Unit

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2007/nov/14/mentalhealth2

[fozzy is crying]

Professor Richard LAYARD was also involved in this year's report on Mental heath.

If you look at this site

http://cep.lse.ac.uk/_new/research/wellbeing/default.asp

You also see some reports you can download and from there you can link to

http://cep.lse.ac.uk/_new/staff/person.asp?id=970

which tells you more about him and his work. It also has again documents you can download or read on line like an extract of the latest damning report on the NHS Mental Heath Farce.

http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/cp380.pdf


---------- Post added at 03:30 ---------- Previous post was at 03:19 ----------

If you read the full 28 page report you can get if free and legal from here :-

http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/special/cepsp26.pdf

---------- Post added at 03:49 ---------- Previous post was at 03:30 ----------

http://www.multivu.com/assets/56613/banner-original.jpg

---------- Post added at 03:51 ---------- Previous post was at 03:49 ----------

http://www.europeandepressionday.com/depression_day.html

[Richard1960]

One of the MAIN things that got me through anxiety and panic was to work.

Since I got made redundant and work part time I think I am definitely more depressed/down/miserable

Unless of course your depression/anxiety is caused by workplace problems.:ohmy:

[TidyboyTHFC]

ive been off work 6 weeks now since being diagnosed and 10 years ago had to leave a job because of it and was unemployed for 10 months

[MRS STRESS ED]

very interesting articles , I think people dont understand just because you carnt see it ,I feel it I live with it its real its there ,you would see a broken leg ,xxxxxxxxxxx

[kittikat]

Very interesting Fozzy...thanks for posting.

I have worked for the same large employer for 19 years with and exemplary work record...had a breakdown last November, 11 weeks off sick then returned to work and was making good progress. I now find myself in the awful position of discrimination, having to face a formal Capability process. I have had a stage 1 hearing (back in July) have been off work sick since as it totally destroyed me and sent me spiralling down into the black hole once again. I am very angry about the whole situation. I don't see any future - once you have experienced mental health issues, it seems you are destined for the scrap heap.

Any awareness surrounding MH issues can only be a good thing in my opinion.

Kitti :)

[yvonne_uk_98]

very interesting Fozzy, thanks for posting.

[fozzy is crying]

Very interesting Fozzy...thanks for posting.

I have worked for the same large employer for 19 years with and exemplary work record...had a breakdown last November, 11 weeks off sick then returned to work and was making good progress. I now find myself in the awful position of discrimination, having to face a formal Capability process. I have had a stage 1 hearing (back in July) have been off work sick since as it totally destroyed me and sent me spiralling down into the black hole once again. I am very angry about the whole situation. I don't see any future - once you have experienced mental health issues, it seems you are destined for the scrap heap.

Any awareness surrounding MH issues can only be a good thing in my opinion.

Kitti :)

Thank you Kitti,

Over night I saw quite a bit about discrimination at work for people with mental heath problems on news sites. I must revisit that and see what I can put on here as this area is very important to lots of people. One of the reasons I retired so very early to never work again could be seen as my employer wanting me out of the way. I was not alone I worked in a highly specialised field of a very large employer. Our section consisted of 56 people. The stress put on us was enormous. In a two year period two thirds of us were medically retired due to this stress and being burnt out by the job. Four others did not live to get retirement they died from heart attacks. The natur4e of our work and mental health problems from it as your employer knew would mean we would never work again and some would even be barred from doing do. Yes barred!

The saddest part is on retirement of use had been on long term sick leave and none of us got even a farewell or thank you letter from our senior management for all we had done. We all felt so used and abused but could not do anything about it. Most of us also as a result suffered family breakups and loss of friends.

I have during sleepless night also found the damning report on mental health services in my area by the Care Quality Commission [CQC] in June of this year. Later I will be putting the BBC news item report on it on here and a link for those interested to download the full report. I know that the CQC report is only the tip of the iceberg in my area as several local MPs know and are campaigning to see major changes as the bottom line there are 1000s like me in this area getting no support or being denied it. Lots of people on here in the last weeks have asked me why I not absolutely no support network it is due to the failings of my local mental health trust and social services. When you see this report you might start to see the major problems people like me in this area have.

I hope this thread is of use and will continue to be so.

Thank you again Kitti

Gordon

[kittikat]

Thank you for the small insight into your personal plight. How sad.

I feel very much like you did back then and my situation sounds quite similar to yours in that of those who haven't left of their own accord due to the stress, others are off sick and another colleague was recently found dead in her bed at the age of 54. Sadly this all goes neglected and brushed under the carpet of the senior managers' offices.

I would be very interested in any other information you share here. Thank you.

Look after yourself, Kitti :) x

[ElizabethJane]

Hi Fozzy I have lost seven or eight years to severe depressive illness. However I have managed to overcome this with medication and other support. I have been with my present employer for ten years without any time off for depression although I had a serious blip in this time. Time off has been for major surgery and a back problem. EJ

[fozzy is crying]

Thank you for the small insight into your personal plight. How sad.

I feel very much like you did back then and my situation sounds quite similar to yours in that of those who haven't left of their own accord due to the stress, others are off sick and another colleague was recently found dead in her bed at the age of 54. Sadly this all goes neglected and brushed under the carpet of the senior managers' offices.

I would be very interested in any other information you share here. Thank you.

Look after yourself, Kitti :) x

I was one of the first to actually go and the youngest that survived. My last day work was on the 2nd of January 1992. I only remember 30 the first 30 minute after I got to work and shortly after I went into a management meeting and the next thing I knew it was two weeks late. Apparently I totally lost it mentally and physically was rushed to hospital unconscious.

I was on sick leave then until I was given medical retirement. I was urged to take it after six months and to get it up to then way a long process of medical assessments by our terms of employment. However by this time two had died and 7 more were on long term sick leave so they through the rule book out and the mandatory government assessments using me as a test case. There was however lots of paperwork to be sorted but they did it all and then I retired on the 31st of October 1992, 27 days before my 44th birthday!!!!

After that many followed the same path. The next youngest was 50. The youngest to die was only 23 and he left behind a wife and two babies.

Gordon

[Richard1960]

It must be fife dicrimination i mean i work for of all things a "mental health trust" and they have driven me to be off work in part to due to the way they treat the staff.

Its all quite sad.

[fozzy is crying]

It must be fife dicrimination i mean i work for of all things a "mental health trust" and they have driven me to be off work in part to due to the way they treat the staff.

Its all quite sad.

Gosh even there!!!!

They should know better. No wonder it is rife elsewhere.

Gordon

[xBettyBoopx]

I was much better off in every way when I worked. I was unfortunate to have been made redundant 4 times and by the 4th time, I had some physical health problems too:mad::mad: I haven't worked since 2005 and it's very depressing, feeling like I'm not giving anything to society but I am taking it, it's belittling (if that's a word):lac:

Where's that magic wand.............:scared15:

[fozzy is crying]

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