Treatment of Mental Illness

Less Than 1/3 of Those With Mental Illness Receive Treatment^[1].

Hidden Symptoms:

Mental health problems are often unrecognized because the symptoms may be hidden at work. Why?

Employees: reluctant to seek treatment due to stigma, and fear of jeopardizing their job^[2]

Managers: want to help, but don’t how to do so appropriately due to confidentiality and legal issues^[2]

Mental Illness Treatment is Cost-Effective:

The majority of those treated for mental illness improve with adequate treatment^[1]

After 3 weeks of treatment, about 2/3 of those with mental illness were no longer work-impaired^[2]

Mental Fitness is Good For Business.

References:

[1] Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, December 1999.

[2] Innerworkings: A Look at Mental Health in Today’s Workplace, Partnership for Workplace Mental Health, 2007.

[3] Hosman, C. M. H., & Janè-Llopis, E. (2005). The evidence of effective interventions for mental health promotion. In World Health Organization – Promoting Mental Health: Concepts-Emerging Evidence-Practice. (pp. 169-188). Geneva, Switzerland: WHO.

[4] Jones ER, Brown GS: Behavioral Healthcare: A Worthwhile Investment? Employee Benefit Plan Review, August 2003, pp. 13-14.