Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER CANADIAN HR REPORTER March 24, 2014 March 24, 2014 FEATUR FEATURES 19 MENTAL HEALTH Understanding bipolar disorder Severity of illness can vary from person to person By Sarika Gundu W orkplaces play an es- sential role in main- taining positive men- tal health. But while they can contribute to personal well-be- ing, they can also cause, contrib- ute to or aggravate mental health problems. When an employee has an existing mental health issue, such as bipolar disorder, it can be a challenge for the em- ployer to maintain a mentally healthy and supportive work environment. But with the appropriate treat- ment and support, employees with a mental illness can lead productive and healthy lives — both at work and at home. What is bipolar disorder? Bipolar disorder, also known as bi- polar aff ective disorder or manic depression, is a type of mood dis- order. A person diagnosed with bipolar disorder experiences al- ternating emotional states that run from extreme highs to ex- treme lows. ese episodes may have nothing to do with any par- ticular life event — they can oc- cur spontaneously, independent of any trigger. Bipolar disorder aff ects about one per cent of the general popu- lation. It usually begins in ado- lescence or early adulthood and aff ects men and women equally. It is not known what causes bi- polar disorder, although research indicates a genetic predisposition may contribute since it tends to run in families. Substance abuse and stress may also contribute to its development. In addition to feelings of de- pression, someone with bipolar disorder also has episodes of ma- nia. When people are experienc- ing manic periods, they exhibit symptoms that include: •extreme optimism, euphoria and feelings of grandeur •rapid, racing thoughts and hyperactivity •a decreased need for sleep •increased irritability •impulsiveness and possibly reck- less behaviour. Treatment Like any other disease, mental ill- ness responds better to early iden- tifi cation and treatment. Depres- sion in particular responds very well to treatment. Both depres- sion and bipolar disorder can be treated with psychotherapy, coun- selling, education and medication. Electroconvulsive therapy has proven to be helpful for those who do not respond to other treatments. Self-help groups are very ben- efi cial in getting — and staying — on the road to recovery. A sup- portive network of family and friends is also very helpful. A de- pressed individual may not want the company of others or, con- versely, may continuously want the company of certain people. It's important to be patient and non-judgmental — listen rather than talk and keep an open mind to their thoughts and feelings. Managing mental illness in the workplace e severity of mental illnesses can vary from person to person. Two people can both be diag- nosed with bipolar disorder but may require diff erent accommo- dations in the workplace. It is important for managers to discuss how they can best sup- port these employees — but they should remember they're manag- ers, not health-care professionals. To better accommodate em- ployees with a mental illness, em- ployers should: Create a psychologically safe and healthy workplace: Stigma in the workplace prevents employ- ees from sharing, talking and get- ting help for their mental health concerns. Addressing stigma is essential in creating a psychologi- cally safe and healthy workplace. Organizations should consider anti-stigma campaigns, mental health awareness workshops for employees and mental health training for managers. e Na- tional Standard on Psychological Health and Safety in the Work- place is an excellent tool for cre- ating a psychologically safe and health workplace. ese initia- tives not only prevent stigma but also equip employees with the tools and resources to support themselves and their co-workers. Build trust: If an employee has told his manager he has a mental illness, the manager should con- vey she can be trusted with such information. With stigma still very prevalent, it is important an employee feels comfortable about revealing such information. Communicate: e manager should discuss with the employ- ee what he needs from her to be successful in his role and what she needs from him to be suc- cessful in her role. ey should work together on a solution that will help the employee meet his assigned duties. She should ask the employee how his illness and symptoms might impact his work. is information is helpful when creating an eff ective accommo- dation plan. e manager should stay calm and relaxed when com- municating with employees. Helpful queries can sound like this: "Help me understand your condition" or "What is the impact of your condition on your work?" Employees with bipolar dis- order, lupus, multiple sclerosis or any other illness that involves episodic symptoms may require certain accommodations in the workplace to better manage their condition and work. Some com- mon yet eff ective accommoda- tions to consider are fl exible work hours, adjustable workloads, work-from-home options and job-sharing options. Keep in mind that accommoda- tions may change over time and there is no one-size-fi ts-all solu- tion. Be sure to touch base regu- larly with employees to under- stand how the accommodations are working out for them. Sarika Gundu is national director of the workplace mental health program at the Canadian Mental Health Asso- ciation in Toronto. She can be reached at sgundu@cmha.ca. EAPs Spikes in EAP usage linked to winter blahs Employer-provided programs help employees deal with problems before they escalate By Sarah Dobson C ould a particularly hard winter, combined with post-holiday blues, lead to more employees seeking sup- port from their employee assis- tance program (EAP)? Yes, ac- cording to one provider based in the United States — ComPsych saw a 19 per cent spike in EAP calls this past January. "We've had a bit of an anomaly in terms of a larger increase in us- age and that could be because of our circumstances this year, this season," says Jonathan Winston, regional vice-president in Canada for ComPsych in Toronto. "We've had a harsher winter and an increase in storm activi- ties... we had the ice storm and some fl ooding and I think people have sheltered themselves indoors and that's sort of impacted things around mood-related issues and relationship issues." While Canadian EAP providers might not see such a dramatic in- crease — partly because of a diff er- ent health-care system — they do see notable spikes during the chill- ier months when it comes to em- ployees seeking assistance around issues relating to their fi nances, depression or relationships. At Aspiria, utilization has al- most doubled in January and February compared to December for the past three years, according to Charles Benayon, Markham, Ont.-based founder and CEO. "As we start getting into spring, it starts to taper off for sure," he says, adding the categories of de- pression and personal fi nance are largely responsible for the rises. When calling in, people give all kinds of reasons, such as the weather, post-holiday blues or concerns about finances, says Benayon. Often they manage to postpone the inevitable in De- cember because they're too busy planning for the holidays, but that wears off with the new year. Typically, there's a buildup of activities and celebrations in De- cember and then there's a "crash" or commitment to change in January or February, causing us- age spikes, says Barb Veder, vice- president of clinical services and research lead at Morneau Shepell in Ottawa. "People are being refl ective on what they want to accomplish, they're looking at things that are undone or that they've put aside and that they really now want to address, either on a physical health level or emotional well- being level. And sometimes when you get together with friends and family over the holidays... if it doesn't go as you anticipated, it brings you down and that also is a refl ective time and can trigger feelings of sadness or depression." Hard winter weather can also limit people's activities, says Veder — particularly those who already have restricted mobility. "When the winter is more harsh or we've had more storms, people are more isolated, they're less likely to be able to do the ac- tivities that help them through the winter, so… that of course aff ects our mood." Research has shown incidents of seasonal aff ective disorder or SAD are higher in climates with less sun, says Estelle Morrison, vice-president of clinical and well- ness services at Ceridian Canada in Markham, Ont. "In Canada, in the north, we defi nitely see higher incidents be- cause of that very issue, so yes it is evident." While its usage increases are not near 19 per cent, Ceridian PROMOTE > pg. 20

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