Mental illness taking its toll in the workplace

MOST employers tend to completely underestimate the financial impact of mental illness on their bottom line, and it is time they did something about it.

That is the word from leadership lecturer at the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB), Dr Renata Schoeman.

In an interview yesterday, Schoeman said companies needed to realise the affect their company structure, expectations of employees and management style had on the mental health of employees.

She said more than 40% of workrelated illness was due to workrelated stress, major depression, burnout and anxiety disorders.

The most recent study conducted on depression in South Africa – published in 2016 – found that one in four South African employees had been diagnosed with depression and had taken up to 18 days off work due to the condition.

The study was conducted by the South African Depression and Anxiety Group in partnership with South African health economics company Hexor and supported by pharmaceutical company Lundbeck.

Schoeman highlighted that the 2016 study revealed that nondisclosure of depression as a reason for sick leave was predominantly due to stigma and the fear of not being able to secure employment.

“Undiagnosed and untreated mental health conditions directly impacts a workplace through increased absenteeism and presenteeism (attending work while unwell), reduces productivity and increases costs,” she said.

“Most employers tend to underestimate the financial impact of mental illness on their bottom line.”

She said depression cost South Africa more than R232-billion or 5.7% of the country’s GDP due to lost productivity, either due to absence from work or attending whilst unwell.

This was according to the IDEA study of the London School of Economics and Political Science 2016.

“It’s imperative that companies understand the leading role they play in alleviating and eradicating possible stressors at work,” Schoeman said.

“They should foster a healthy educational environment with proactive mental health awareness programmes, stress management training, access to services which nurture help-seeking behaviour, implement a coaching or counselling programme and identify people in need of care and offer them resources to ensure they receive proper treatment.

“But most importantly they need to break the negative association with depression, burnout and anxiety.”