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The understanding of the important role of focusing on mental health in the workplace continues to grow.

We recently reported:

• Mental Health Wellness Key to Reducing Workplace Absences
• Companies May Be Losing Effective Employees By Not Focusing on Mental Health
• More Than Half of Employers Cite Rise in Workplace Stress, Mental Health

How well do workplaces to in managing depression in the workplace? A new study reviews the question: “Depression screening, education, and treatment at the workplace: A pilot study utilizing the CDC Health Scorecard.”

As the piece describes: “Depression is a significant health issue for many Americans, ranking among the top worksite issues resulting in referrals to Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) with prevalence rates in the working population of more than 6%. This study was part of a larger statewide assessment conducted using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Worksite Health Scorecard.”

The study took place in Kentucky: “The one-time, cross-sectional assessment surveyed a random sample of 1,200 worksites to examine worksite offerings of screening, education, counseling, management training, and health insurance coverage related to depression.”

Results:

• “The majority of worksites do not provide employee depression screening, education and counseling, management training on identifying warning signs of depression, or comprehensive treatment and follow-up for employees with depression.”
• “Smaller worksites (<250 employees) were even less likely than larger companies to provide screening, education, counseling, training, and insurance coverage for depression.”

The conclusion connects the potential benefits of workplace wellness and mental health benefits: “Increasing the provision of these wellness components at the worksite has potential to improve the quality of life for employees and reduce the financial burden to employers.”