Depression in the workplace
Created: 2008-06-04 12:25:06
Today Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of the mental health charity SANE, commented on the study in Occupational Medicine which finds returning to work can aid recovery from depression:
"This study comes as no surprise. There is nothing more demoralising for anyone than fighting an illness and being considered unable to contribute.
"If we want to overcome the stigma that prevents people who have experienced depression from returning to working, then it is vital that society and individuals are far more open, so that employers should not be frightened, through ignorance, of people who may have gaps in their CVs due to a breakdown.
"The fact that depression is now the most common reason for sick leave reflects the beginning of a change of attitude and gives us hope for the future."
For further information, please contact the SANE media department on 020-7422 5556; or 07718 735121 (out of hours).
Notes for Editors:
To donate to SANE, or for more information on the work we do, please visit our new website at www.sane.org.uk.
Celebrating its 21st anniversary this year, SANE is a leading national mental health charity with the three aims of:
· Raising awareness and respect for people with mental illness and their families and securing better services
· Undertaking research into the causes of serious mental illness through The Prince of Wales International Centre for SANE Research
· Providing help and information to those experiencing mental health problems, their families and carers through SANEline and SANEmail.
SANEline is a national out-of-hours telephone helpline offering emotional support and information for people affected by mental health problems. It is open from 6pm to 11pm every day of the year on 0845 767 8000. SANEmail, SANE’s new email support service, runs alongside our national helpline to provide an additional channel of support to those affected by mental health issues. It can be contacted at sanemail@sane.org.uk.