A worker who had suffered from depressions once told the writer: "When I was depressed, I just couldn't get out of bed.
I was completely depleted of energy.
I didn't have the drive to do anything, not even the things that I loved in life.
I would wake up and think, 'how am I going to get to work today?' I couldn't get my thoughts straight.
I was good at my job but all of a sudden I couldn't even consider more than one task at a time so work seemed so hard.
" Depression is one of the common of mental health issues.
In any year, approximately 4% of people suffer from depression of some kind.
Rather than cover all aspects of depression, I want to concentrate on simple aspects of the subject to provide a brief understanding of some of the issues.
Depression may be described as feeling sad or blue.
Feelings of unhappiness, down in the dumps or miserable are also signs of depression.
Most of us feel this way at some point in our lives.
These feelings interfere immensely with our everyday lives.
If you are a Manager, what signs should you look for in a worker to determine that there are indications of depression? It is difficult to determine when a worker is depressed.
As a Manager, you may see a worker as lacking in motivation and lazy.
The worker may also be underperforming in their current role.
So what are some of the main indicators of depression? These include a worker: • Finding it difficult to concentrate on tasks or on deliverables of a role.
• Turning up late to work constantly and feeling tired and fatigued • Getting easily angry and frustrated with tasks or people when in the past the worker has reacted differently to similar situations.
• Avoiding being around work colleagues (e.
g.
sitting by themselves at lunchtime) • Finding it difficult to meet reasonable deadlines and finding it hard to accept constructive and well-delivered feedback • Finding it difficult to manage multiple tasks or demands and appearing to be disorganised • Drinking more alcohol than usual to cope with other symptoms of depression • Feeling more vulnerable to stress and anxiety • Making statements of self worthlessness (e.
g.
I'm a failure, I'm useless, I can't do the job) • Having unusually high absenteeism.
• Being present at work but not doing anything thereby contributing to presenteeism.
• Not wanting to attend training or concentrate on anything.
So what causes depression? Well depression is caused by biological risk factors such as medical conditions of chronic pain, low thyroid function, brain injury, changes in the blood supply or structure of the brain.
In addition, it can be caused by social risk factors such as personal, social or work relationships, isolation or loneliness, workplace bullying or harassment, and having unreasonable work loads coupled with an unsympathetic Manager.
Sometimes, it can be caused by Psychological Risk Factors such as redundancy, having a baby, recent family death, long term relationship or family conflict, etc.
It is important that as a manager at work, you must recognise these signs of depression.
And yet many managers find it difficult to understand what an employee is going through.
They therefore apply all forms of pressures to an employee suffering from depression.
The above information is meant to provide Managers an understanding of depression to enable them to identify such issues at work.
You are no expert so in all cases, refer the employee suffering from such condition to a medical practitioner.