This document discusses depression, including its causes, symptoms, and treatments. It notes that depression can be diagnosed in several forms and have a variety of symptoms, including loss of pleasure, changes in appetite or sleep, low mood, and thoughts of death. Common treatments include cognitive behavioral therapy, antidepressants, and interpersonal therapy. The document also discusses challenges related to depression in the workplace, such as work stressors, and recommends that employers increase awareness and support for employee mental health issues.

1. DEPRESSION
Presenter: Lisannia E. McIntyre
University of the Rockies- Mental Health Psychopathology

2. DEPRESSION IN THE WORKPLACE
• There are many possible causal explanations for depression. Factors such as
personality characteristics (e.g., Akiskal, Hirschfeld, & Yerevanian, 1983); learned
helplessness and depressive attributional styles.
• Depression can be diagnosed as a major depressive episode, as an adjustment
related disorder, as episode of bipolar disorder, as dysthymia, and is usually present
in many other disorders such as eating disorders, anxiety disorders, personality
disorders, and psychotic disorders.
• Depressive symptoms may include, among others, diminished interest or pleasure
in activities, weight loss or gain, insomnia or hypersomnia, fatigue, feelings of
worthlessness or guilt, diminished ability to concentrate or think, and recurrent
thoughts of death (Toker,2012).

3. STRESSOR’S IN THE WORKPLACE

4. SYMPTOMS, TREATMENTS &
INTERVENTION
• Depressive Disorders Symptoms: diminished
interest or pleasure in activities, weight loss or gain,
insomnia or hypersomnia, fatigue, feelings of
worthlessness or guilt, diminished ability to
concentrate or think, and recurrent thoughts of death.
• Treatment: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy(CBT) (most
frequently used and researched)
• Antidepressant medications
• Interpersonal Therapy
• Behavioral Therapy

5. EFFECTIVE TYPES OF TREATMENT
Cognitive-Behavioral
Therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most
frequently researched and supported
psychotherapy for depression (Craighead et al.,
1998). It typically involves 12 to 20 weeks of
directive, structured, action-oriented group or
individual therapy focused on helping clients
identify and modify their thinking (cognitions)
and behavior patterns that are causing and
maintaining their depression. The initial
cognitive goal is to increase clients’ awareness of
self-defeating thoughts about themselves,
others, and the world through regular
homework assignments in which they are
instructed to write down what they are thinking
in response to difficult daily events. Individuals
who are depressed tend to make characteristic
thinking errors, such as overgeneralization (e.g.,
“Because I got a bad work report, it means I am
a failure as a human being!”);
Interpersonal Therapy
collaborative, structured,
action-oriented), it focuses
more on types of relationship
difficulties that may be
responsible for causing or
maintaining the depression
than an individual’s thoughts
or behavior
Behavioral Marital
Therapy
CBT was the most
effective at
relieving
depression
The purpose of BMT
is to increase
positive relationship
behaviors and
improve
communication
skills between
spouses in a 20-
session intervention.

6. CHALLENGES OF
DEPRESSION IN THE
WORKPLACE
The work environment is where most adults
spend the majority of their time, so unpleasant
working conditions have a potentially
significant impact. These unpleasant
conditions may create challenges to the
maintenance of basic physical needs such as
sleep, safety, financial security, and physical
health. Conditions that may produce these
challenges are inconvenient working
schedules (e.g., shift work), difficult physical
requirements, pay systems that threaten
income stability, or monotony. Each of these is
an occupational stressor that may increase
physical demands and increase the risk for
depression (Cooper & Marshall, 1976).

7. MANAGEMENT RESPONSE TO
DEPRESSED EMPLOYEE
Considerations for Employers
• One of the primary advantages of
psychotherapeutic treatments is that
there are no physiological side effects.
• One of the main disadvantages is that
psychotherapies may be relatively
time-consuming, especially during the
early phases.
Management response to employee
with depressive disorder Get rid of the
employee in
most cases,
they find it
easier to hire
a new
employee
rather than
fix this
growing
problem
created due
work
overload n
lieu of
current
economy

8. CHALLENGES FOR EMPLOYEES WITH
A PARTICULAR DISORDER
Recent work has identified behavioural approach system (BAS) sensitivity as a risk
factor for the first onset and recurrence of mood episodes in bipolar disorder, but
little work has evaluated risk factors for depression in individuals at risk for, but
without a history of, bipolar disorder. The present study evaluated cognitive styles
and the emotion-regulatory characteristics of emotional clarity and ruminative
brooding as prospective predictors of depressive symptoms in individuals with high
versus moderate BAS sensitivity. Three separate regressions indicated that the
associations between dysfunctional attitudes, self-criticism, and neediness with
prospective increases in depressive symptoms were moderated by emotional clarity
and brooding. Whereas brooding interacted with these cognitive styles to exacerbate
their impact on depressive symptoms, emotional clarity buffered against their
negative impact. These interactions were specific to high-BAS individuals for
dysfunctional attitudes, but were found across the full sample for self-criticism and
neediness. These results indicate that emotion-regulatory characteristics and
cognitive styles may work in conjunction to confer risk for and resilience against
depression, and that some of these relationships may be specific to individuals at risk
for bipolar disorder. (stange & Boccia, 2013)

9. CONCLUSION
The criteria for defining depressive episodes are
the same regardless of whether the patient
carries a diagnosis of unipolar or bipolar
depression or any other major depressive
disorder. To fit the category of a depressive
episode, the patient must display five depressive
symptoms, including one or both of either a
dysphoric (sad) or an anhedonic (unable to
experience pleasure) mood. The remaining
symptoms of depression are sleep disturbance;
appetite or weight disturbance; diminished
concentration; decreased energy; feelings of
worthlessness, guilt, or low self-esteem;
psychomotor agitation or retardation; and suicidal
ideation. ( Thomas & Hersen, 2002)

10. RECOMMENDATION
I strongly suggest that leadership and leaders create other ways to improve
awareness of depression, not only in the general public, but also in the work
environment. For example: The NIMH Depression Awareness, Recognition, and
Treatment Program was intended to increase public awareness, change public
attitudes, and motivate changes in the treatment of depression. If Companies
leadership acknowledges the need for employees to have more social
interactions with each other, I believe it will help employees from feeling
sometimes left out, over work and unappreciated. These feelings in the work
place if left unattended can create problems in the workplace that often leads
to depression. Examples of such improvements would involve ensuring that an
employee’s demands and capacities are balanced and ensuring that his or her
work schedule is appropriate given the employee’s demands outside of work.
Work roles should be well-defined, and employees should be informed of job
security and job opportunity issues. Its time to speak up!!

11. REFERENCES
Stange, Jonathan P.; Boccia, Angelo S.; Shapero, Benjamin G.; Molz, Ashleigh R.; Flynn, Megan; Matt, Lindsey M.; Abramson, Lyn Y.; Alloy, Lauren B.
Cognition & Emotion. Jan2013, Vol. 27 Issue 1, p63-84. 22p. DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2012.689758. , Database: Business Source Complete
Thomas and Hersen (2002). The handbook of mental health in the workplace. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications