Some experts don’t believe that it is your job that is making you depressed; whilst others really do get your pain.
"Work can't actually cause depression," according to Clare Miller, director of the Partnership for Workplace Mental Health, an arm of the American Medical Association, designed to help employers deal with and strengthen employee mental health. "If someone is predisposed to actually having depression, work can be a force of good or could be harmful. But someone can't get depression simply from work. There need to be some other things going on."
According to Everyday Health, “Mental pain and suffering at work is not a small problem, though, and it does not just impact the individual. According to research released by Miller's organization in May 2013, depression is a leading cause of lost productivity in the United States, costing employers $44 billion annually.”
Although work can’t cause depression, there are a number of factors that can aggravate the circumstances and cause mental health issues.
Symptoms include the following:
- Giving up - not trying
- Social withdrawal
- Passivity
- Decreased effectiveness at work
- Decreased problem-solving ability
- Procrastination
- Frustration
- Low self-esteem
Some of the causes of workplace depression are:
Being in the wrong job. You may have been pushed into a career that is just not your calling. You are not passionate about your occupation and would much prefer to be doing something else.
You don’t fit in. There seems to be no alignment of culture or values with the organization.
Feeling guilty about working. You want to work and like your job, but you feel you should be spending more time with your children and family.
Strained working relationships. You don’t have the choice of who you have to work with. This could mean that you have to face some very unpleasant people, who have different personalities and work styles to yourself.
Inadequate work-life balance. Placing more time on work and less on personal relationships, social connections, hobbies and other interests, can lead to depression.
Introverted / Extroverted stresses. High expectations surrounding social inclusion or exclusion and the lack of office privacy, can increase stress and anxiety.
Financial stress. Struggling to pay the bills due to a lack of compensation, can lead to despair.
High expectations. Having to constantly perform and deliver results, adds pressure and stress, that may cause unhappiness.
Lack of guidance and support. This can leave one feeling uncertain or unsure of what to do. The lack of skills and knowledge that is required to perform, can affect one’s confidence leading to hopelessness.
No growth. A job that lacks the opportunity to grow, can foster a feeling of complacency and a lack of self-worth. This can lead to feelings of having no purpose or value and despondency.
Poor communication skills. Not being able to deliver due to poor communication from managers or the organization itself, can make people feel like that are letting the team down, which can contribute to their sadness.
Bullying. This can be a huge issue for some employees, especially if they feel like they are being bullied by their bosses or co-workers and have no one to turn to.
Blame. When certain employees are constantly targeted or blamed for mistakes, whilst others, who perform badly, are always being rewarded and recognized, then this may create low morale and disengagement.
Poor working environments. Having to work in unsafe or uncomfortable environments and not being given sufficient breaks, can lead to discontent in the workplace.
Organizations need to recognize what is going on with their employees, so they can address the issues and ultimately reduce employee depression.
Turning a blind eye to these issues, costs companies in employees’ disengagement and a lack of productivity. It is better to “treat the cause rather than the symptoms”.
Mentors Insync provides the right kind of mentoring as a solution to support employees. If you are interested in finding out more, please visit our website or contact us at: info@mentorsinsync.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment