Depression is no laughing matter, despite ‘SNL’ jokes

Pete Davidson, a Saturday Night Live cast member, revealed recently on the show’s “Weekend Update” segment that he was returning to work after being diagnosed with a borderline personality disorder and depression.

He joked that if he were given more airtime on the comedy show, it would make him feel better.

Davidson, 23, was being funny about his disability and job accommodations, yet he was also offering some sound advice. “First of all, if you think you’re depressed, see a doctor and talk to them about medication, be healthy. Eating right and exercise can make a huge difference,” Davidson said.

The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 1 in 5 people will experience a psychiatric disability in their lifetime, and it is likely that most employers have at least one employee with a psychiatric disability.

Doctors and health care providers have a major role in helping their patients minimize life disruptions and remain productive after injury or diagnosis of disability, according to a June position paper by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

The paper stressed the importance of work and health, referencing a 1966 study that found three weeks of bed rest had a more profound negative impact on a person’s physical work capacity than three decades of aging.

In another study referenced in the paper, researchers found that up to 80 percent of employees’ days off work after illness or injury was not due to the medical condition itself.

According to ACOEM recommendations, medical providers should be aware that the likelihood of job loss rapidly increases due to time away from work, and that by encouraging patients to keep as closely as possible to their usual daily routine will have positive health benefits.

Ideas presented in the paper for minimizing work loss included reducing unnecessary delays in treatment, helping patients with employer and insurer communication, and providing guidance to employers and vocational rehabilitation professionals on appropriate job accommodations.

For the employed patient, this includes helping them to find a way to stay at work, unless there is a safety or health concern or risks to others.

If a patient cannot safely perform his or her usual job, they should still be encouraged to continue some type of productive work, best handled in their current workplace, with accommodations or temporary restrictions on activities or functions.

If work must be interrupted by medical treatment, then the time away from employment should be minimized, as skills and productivity may be lost, according to the research presented in the paper.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, most employers must provide “reasonable accommodations” to qualified employees with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are adjustments to a work setting that make it possible for qualified employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their jobs.