Stress management guidance for WTC workers, Sept 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Treatments Are Effective Ma^ couldn’t sleep at night and had trouble staying awake and concentrating during the day. After visiting the doctor and being put on medicationfor depression, she found that her symptoms disappeared and her work mid social life improved More than 80% of people with depression can be treated effectively, generally without missing much time from work or needing costly hospitalization. There is a choice of treatments available, including medications, psychological treatments, or a combination of both. These treatments usually relieve the symptoms of depression in a matter of weeks. What Can A Supervisor Do? What Can a Supervisor Say to a Depressed Person? c "I'm concerned that you’ve been late to work recently and aren’t meeting your performance objectives... I’d like to see you get back on track. I don't know whether this is the case for you, but if you have a personal problem you can speak confidentially to one of our employee assistance counselors. The service was set up to help employees who are experiencing personal problems. Our conversation today and your appointment with the counselor are confidential. Whether or not you contact this service, you will still be expected to meet your performance goals.” As a supervisor, you can: Learn about depression and the sources of help. Reading this brochure is a good first step. Familiarize yourself with your company’s health benefits. Find out if your company has an employee assistance program (EAP) that can provide on-site consultation or refer employees to local resources. Recognize when an employee shows signs of a problem affecting performance which may be depression-related and refer appropriately. As a supervisor you cannot diagnose depression. You can, however, note changes in woik performance and listen to employee concerns. If your company does have m EAP, ask a counselor for suggestions on how best to approach an employee who you suspect is experiencing work problems that may be related to depression. When a previously productive employee begins to be absent or tardy frequently, or is unusually forgetful md error-prone, he/she may be experiencing a significant personal or health problem. Discuss changes in work performance with the employee. You may suggest that the employee seek consultation if there is a person^ problem. Confidentiality of any discussion with the employee is critical. If an employee voluntarily talks with you about health problems, including feeling depressed or down all the time, keep these points in mind: • Do not try to diagnose the problem yourself. • Recommend that any employee experiencing symptoms of depression seek professional consultation from an EAP counselor or other health or mental health professional. • Recognize that a depressed employee may need a flexible work schedule during treatment. Find out about your company's approach by contacting your human resources speci^ist, • Remember that severe depression may be life threatening to the employee, but rarely to others. If an employee makes comments like "life is not worth living"" or "people would be better off without metake the threats seriously. Immediately call an EAP counselor or other specialist and seek advice on how to handle the situation. Professional Help Is Available From:

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