January 18, 2012
In today’s Telegraph , there was a worrying story about an employee who had allegedly been made redundant for disclosing to his employer that he was experiencing feelings of depression. In a world where technology and social media is the norm, it’s hardly surprising that the employee took to twitter to share his experience, along with his dismissal letter! Within hours he had received thousands of tweets supporting him and offering advice. This is obviously an unacceptable way to treat someone suffering from depression, but I’m not at all surprised that this scenario has come to light and the power of social media may very well surface similar stories in the coming weeks and months.
Given that around 1 in 6 people now suffer, or will in the future suffer, from a common mental illness (e.g. depression, anxiety and stress) it is astonishing that the stigma of mental ill health is still with us. As well as all the high profile cases we hear about, there are so many TV programmes, films and other media highlighting the problem and, indeed, its treatment, that it’s hard to imagine this episode could have occurred in our times. But unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. Even though many more people experience mental health issues and access to support is much better than it was a decade ago, there is still a concern about taking people on who have had mental health problems – or dealing with them appropriately if they are already in employment. Sure, we still need more support for people with mental health conditions, but it is out there and there’s no excuse for this particular employer’s response.
And yet when it comes to physical health issues there seems to be much more sympathy. As Henry David Thoreau wrote in 1853: “how prompt we are to satisfy the hunger and thirst of our bodies; how slow to satisfy the hunger and thirst of our souls!” Given the troubled times we are all going through in this severe and long lasting economic crisis, we are going to see more people who are unable to cope and who succumb to mental health problems, albeit treatable conditions. It would be unacceptable, and unsustainable, to dismiss everyone who said they had a mental health issue – for example, what would have happened if the Lloyds Chief Executive had been treated this way when he admitted struggling with similar issues?! In order to reduce the stigma of mental health issues, employers need to be made aware of the help available to employees who may be suffering this way, as well as the importance of supporting their psychological well-being as part of the way they do business.
We need to invest more in this growing societal issue, in terms of identifying and treating it, or better still working to prevent it in the first place. Otherwise, as Mark Twain put it, “if you always do what you always did, you’ll always get what you always got”. That is not good enough for the many thousands who are suffering or the society in which we all live.
1 Comment | 
health, Mental health, Redundancy | Tagged: Depression, health, mental illness, redundancy, Telegraph, twitter, unfair dismissal | 
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Posted by Cary Cooper
November 28, 2011
The untimely death of Gary Speed was one of the most shocking news stories I’ve heard in years. The suicide of a charming, talented and ambitious family man – someone who had recently played in the Premier League before starting to make his mark as an international manager with his native Wales – is, on the surface of it, as unexpected as it gets. If this doesn’t teach us all something about the difference between the public image of our idols and the reality of their lives then nothing ever will. We don’t know the reasons that Gary chose to take his own life, maybe we never will, but it’s hard to believe that his mental state was not a factor.
Whether or not this was the case, it’s not that surprising that we’re hearing about more and more people in the public eye who are afflicted with mental health issues – after all, one in four in the UK now report experiencing depression. In recent years sufferers and non-sufferers alike have been given very personal insights into the conditions of well known figures such as Stephen Fry, the cricketer Marcus Trescothick and ex-footballer, Stan Collymore. All of these, and more, have thankfully helped the public to understand that dealing with mental illness is about much more than ‘pulling yourself together’.
Poignantly, the last of these three, Stan Collymore, is currently suffering from a severe bout of depression and has laudably chosen to be very open about his illness in the hope that it will help others. Last Saturday morning, wide awake at 4.48am, he was moved to write a very frank account of what happens to him when depression strikes. I can honestly say it was one of the most intense and moving things I’ve read for some time and I’d encourage anyone with an interest in mental health to read it at http://www.twitlonger.com/show/ecoqm1.
As I said, we just don’t know if Gary Speed was going through something similar or not, but I think it’s fair to say that anyone who takes their own life gets to a very lonely place mentally before making that decision – somewhere that thankfully most of us will never go. In his account Stan Collymore talks about this issue and strongly urges anyone who feels the way he does right now to talk to someone about it, to ask for help. Whatever was troubling Gary, it’s a dreadful shame that he was unable to do this – he will be sorely missed by all who knew him and millions more who admired him.
3 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: Depression, Gary Speed, help, Marcus Trescothick, mental illness, Premier League, Stan Collymore, Stephen Fry | Permalink
Posted by Cary Cooper
July 13, 2011
There’s no doubt we’re getting better at supporting mental health at work in the UK, but the figures are still shocking: The Centre for Mental Health report that 91 million days are lost each year due to mental health problems and the total cost to employers is a staggering £26 billion a year. With one worker in six experiencing depression, anxiety or problems relating to stress at any one time, mental illness has now become the largest category of occupational ill-health. (Source: The Centre for Mental Health)
With many organisations still governed by serious financial constraints and austerity measures, reducing the costs of staff sickness absence and driving up productivity remain firmly on the agenda. We also know that work is good for both physical and mental health and well-being, and whilst people with mental health problems have the highest levels of unemployment among any disabled group, they also have the highest ‘want to work’ rate (source: rethink). The challenge is huge.
So it’s always great to see new initiatives emerging to help tackle the problem and support mental health at work – I was particularly encouraged to hear that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is piloting a new in-work mental health support service targeted at employees and employers.
As well as providing crucial support to help more organisations develop and sustain mentally healthy workplaces; the DWP is also firmly reinforcing the message that mental health is just as important as physical health in terms of overall well-being and productivity at work.
What makes this service even better is that it’s funded by Access to Work and is free to the organisation. This innovative pilot is being delivered by Remploy in partnership with ProAbility. If you want to access the support on offer, or find out more, contact the team on 0845 146 0520 or email: proability@remploy.co.uk
1 Comment | health, Stress, Well-being | Tagged: Access to Work, anxiety, Department for Work and Pensions, Depression, DWP, mental health, physical health, ProAbility, Remploy, Sickness Absence, Stress, The Centre for Mental Health, UK | Permalink
Posted by Cary Cooper
April 7, 2011
Figures were released today showing that over the last few years the number of prescriptions for anti-depressants have risen an astonishing 43%. Indeed, the BBC have highlighted that according to the Department of Health referrals to psychological therapies has risen to nearly 600,000, a four-fold increase, in the last year alone. As President of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy, I am not surprised because this demand has also meant a significant increase in recent years in the number of trained counsellors and psychotherapists.
There are a range of possible explanations for this phenomenal rise, one of which is that it is more socially acceptable now to seek treatment for depression and anxiety – but this does not alone explain this exceptional jump in depression. I suspect it is also partially a result of the recession, where people are much more worried about their jobs, are suffering from high levels of debt and having financial crises. The research evidence from one of the science reviews in the government Foresight project on Mental Capital and Wellbeing (Cooper, et al, Mental Capital and Wellbeing, Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009) found that there was a direct relationship between increased debt and depression. There is also an indirect effect as well, as the people who experience debt and financial problems tend to take it out on their spouses/partners and families.
As Marjorie Wallace, the CEO of SANE was quoted as saying on the BBC website: “It is impossible to say for sure that economic problems are leading to a rise in depression. But we are certainly hearing more from people who are worried where the next meal is coming from, job security and cuts in benefits- many who are getting in touch with us for the first time”.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12986314
Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: anti-depressants, anxiety, BBC, British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy, counsellers, debt, Department of Health, Depression, Foresight Project on Mental Capital and Well-Being, Marjorie Wallace, psychological therapies, psychotherapists, SANE | Permalink
Posted by Cary Cooper
February 2, 2011
It is fantastic to hear today’s announcement that the UK government is investing £400m in making talking therapies available on the NHS. This is wonderful news given that one in six people suffer from a common mental disorder such as depression, anxiety or stress. The emotional strain on those affected and their families can be enormous, and the costs to society in terms of treatment, lost productive value, sickness absence and so on, total nearly £100b per annum. So the funding certainly makes sense from both a fiscal and a moral stand point.
However, as well as making the resources available to treat people, we also need to get at the source of this 21st century epidemic. WHO has predicted that by 2030 ‘depression’ would be the number one burden of disease in the world. It’s therefore imperative that as well as treating mental illnesses, we explore the factors that underpin them, so that more preventative measures can be taken in the future.
Some of these sources have already been identified through the government’s Foresight project on Mental Capital and Wellbeing. Factors include debt, the breakup of the family and community, loss-related events in people’s lives, poor housing and other environmental issues, being bullied at work, lack of early identification of symptoms and many more. Whether it is in schools, communities or in the workplace, we need to tackle some of these issues at source if we are to stop the increasing tide of mental ill health in our society. We can make a difference if we are brave enough to find solutions to the reasons people become ill in the first place, and take action before it is too late.
Leave a Comment » | health, Stress | Tagged: anxiety, debt, Depression, epidemic, government, mental health, mental illness, NHS, Sickness Absence, Stress, talking therapies, treatment, UK, WHO | Permalink
Posted by Cary Cooper
December 10, 2010
I have just returned from the World Economic Forum meeting in Dubai, where I am a member of the Global Agenda Council on chronic disease and well-being. While I was there we were also discussing the UN Summit meeting on non communicable diseases (NCD), to be held at the UN Headquarters in New York on the 19th September 2011. The GAC want to highlight the enormous costs of these illnesses, from heart disease and cancer to mental ill health, and have decided to maximise exposure by organising a well-being week in New York to coincide with this important global event.
In 2004 the UN produced a list of the ten leading causes of disease, and also estimated the ill health burdens we will be facing in 2030. In 2004, four of the top five were NCDs: lower respiratory infections, diarrhoeal diseases, depressive illness and heart disease – all of which are potentially preventable. By 2030, they predict the top four will be (in order of priority): depressive illness, heart disease, road traffic accidents and cerebrovascular disease.
You can see from these lists the mental ill health has risen from third to first as a major global burden of disease. It is therefore vital that we begin to deal with mental ill health and attempt to enhance mental well-being, whether in people’s private life, at work or in the family and community. With nearly one in four people in the UK suffering from the common mental disorders of depression, anxiety and stress, this is a real destroyer of people’s lives, as well as their health.
Leave a Comment » | health, Stress | Tagged: anxiety, cancer, Depression, Dubai, GAC, Global Agenda Council, heart disease, ill health, mental ill health, New York, non-communicable diseases, Stress, UN, World Economic Forum | Permalink
Posted by Cary Cooper
June 25, 2010
The emergency budget that we received this week was, of course, widely anticipated and covered by the media. In this sense, the inevitable cuts were expected and few people will have been surprised by how far the government have gone. Of course, the full impact of 25% cuts to all government departments, except for health and international aid, are yet to be experienced – so it’s largely theoretical right now! It will only be when these cuts hit that we will feel the real impact in the short- and medium-term.
That said, the quicker we, the public, understand and can anticipate the implications of the cuts, the better for us psychologically – and for the large number of people working in the various government departments and public sector bodies. Pain of this sort has been experienced before in our recent history – during the various World Wars, during the depression, during the major industrial relations disputes of the 70s – but it has been a long time since ordinary people have experienced such a major jolt to their way of life. This will fundamentally affect our feelings of job and financial security, as well as our levels of happiness.
The good news, if there is any, is that the coalition government is also trying to find ways to stimulate the private sector. The hope is that it may be capable of taking on some of the fallout from the public sector provided that the switch from growing one to growing the other can happen fast enough. This is laudable but there will still be palpable stress, worry and insecurity in all reaches of society, particularly for those who are the most vulnerable.
There is a lot of uncertainty about this week (and not just in relation to England’s fate in the World Cup!). Not knowing what the future holds and whether the government has got it right can seem frightening. However, we’ve lived with uncertainty for the last two years and maybe when we come out on the other side of this we’ll understand what is really important in our society. I’m thinking about our families, our relationships and the communities we left on the shelf in the search for the almighty buck!
1 Comment | Community, economy, election, NHS, Private Sector, Public Sector, Stress, Well-being | Tagged: 25%, budget, coalition, communities, cuts, Depression, emergency budget, England, families, government, government departments, happiness, health, industrial, international aid, medium-term, Private Sector, Public Sector, relationships, security, short-term, Stress, uncertainty, World Cup, World Wars, worry | Permalink
Posted by Cary Cooper
June 19, 2008
Last month Personnel Today reported research from Frankfurt University showing that ‘professional smilers’, such as flight attendants, sales personnel, call centre operators, waiters and others in contact with the public for extended periods of time, were at risk of seriously harming their health. Professor Dieter Zapf, a psychologist and researcher into human emotions at Frankfurt University, said that fake friendliness led to depression, stress and negatively affected the immune system. The implication of the findings was that every time a person is forced to repress their true feelings, there are damaging consequences for their health.
This is hardly surprising, but for me puts the spotlight on recruitment decisions – those of both candidate and recruiter. For the recruiter, it’s critical to know what you’re looking for and how to identify it in the candidate. For example, if you are looking for a friendly, sociable flight attendant you need to understand the enduring personality characteristics that drive the behaviour you are looking for, as well as checking that the person has the skills to interact with passengers effectively. If someone has a personality characterised by high levels of neuroticism and introversion they are very unlikely to behave in the manner you require – no matter how well they perform in the role play at the assessment centre. Learnt skills can mask true personality in the short-term, but it never lasts.
Which brings me to the candidate’s responsibility in these situations: No matter how much someone wants the job there is no point in them pretending to be someone that they are not. If you like to spend time quietly problem-solving, analysing data or writing reports you are unlikely to enjoy the kind of work that requires a lot of human contact, outgoing behaviour and constant smiling. So it’s important to be honest with yourself and the recruiter and to self-select out of the process when this kind of mismatch occurs.
For people, who are naturally outgoing (in personality terms, extroverts who are open to experience and have low levels of neuroticism) I doubt that working in these roles would be inherently stressful, as the Frankfurt study claims. However, for someone who wasn’t completely honest during the recruitment process, or got the job as the result of a poor selection decision by the employer, these kinds of roles could become excruciating. I’d like to see the results of a study like this that controlled for personality type.
http://www.personneltoday.com/articles/2008/05/16/45890/enforced-smiling-in-the-workplace-puts-health-at-risk.html
1 Comment | Management, Recruitment and Selection, Stress, Well-being | Tagged: Depression, personality, recruitment, Stress, stressful | Permalink
Posted by Cary Cooper
