What’s the Issue?

John Kirwan

Investing in a mentally healthy workplace will contribute to improved productivity, retention, recruitment, and engagement.

We’ve all seen the John Kirwan ads on TV. Depression is life threatening and extremely debilitating but there is much that can be done to prevent it and aid recovery.

As with all mental illness employment is a key part of both.

• The World Health Organisation estimates that by the year 2020, depression will be most common cause of ill health and premature death in the western world.
• There are significant economic costs locally and nationally for all, particularly employers (e.g. through absenteeism and turnover).
• Depression alone has been ranked sixth of all diseases in terms of economic burden. The London School of Economics estimated the total loss of output due to depression and chronic anxiety in the UK at some 12 billion pounds a year
• Ignored, not only do people’s lives get destroyed, but companies face ongoing costs through losses in productivity, absenteeism and turnover.

People’s workplaces not only play a crucial role in preventing mental illness, but they can also contribute to all people flourishing whether with or without mental illness. Therefore workplaces are as crucial for those people recovering as for those that are healthy.

Many people empathise with mental illness, often due to personal experience or close family and friends. However a study of 2000 people in North America showed that 78% of all workers believe that a person diagnosed with depression would most likely keep it to themselves for fear of hurting their future opportunities.

Is it any different in New Zealand?

With 20% of the whole population expected to suffer from some form of mental illness in their lives this is a huge issue. Business of New Zealand need to make helping employees in the workplace through supporting mental health and well being a key human resources priority.