What the research says
The medical literature speaks to the need for corporate wellness programs
Statistics
The medical literature speaks that there is a need for corporate wellness programs.
Corporations lose an average of 16 days productivity per year per worker because of stress, anxiety or depression related health issues.
The largest area of increase in long-term disability has been in mental health.
40% of worker turnover is attributed to ‘stress.’
62% of workers by the end of the day complain of neck pain, 44% have eye fatigue, 34% experience difficulty sleeping due to stress.
One in five people in Canada will in their lifetime experiences a mental health issue. The accumulated cost for this ongoing problem is in excess of $50 billion. [1]
Mental health issues account for 30% of short & long-term disability claims. [2]
Mental health issues are one of the three top causes for short & long-term disability claims made by more than 80% of Canadian employers. [3][4]
In 2010, mental health issues received 47% of all approved disability claims in the federal service, almost double that of twenty years earlier. [5]
Mental health issues account for more than $6 billion in lost productivity due to related absenteeism and presenteeism. [6]
Adults with severe mental health issues die up to 25 years earlier than the average, with cardiovascular disease causing the most deaths. [7]
In a recent study, only 63% of patients hospitalized for depression had a follow-up visit with their doctor within 30 days of their discharge. Compare this to 99% of heart patients. [8]
In the same 30 days, 25% of those same patients hospitalized for depression either visited an emergency room or were readmitted to hospital. [9]
Peer support for people with mental health issues reduce hospitalizations and improve quality of life. [10]
One study reports that of those who found themselves caring for a family member with mental health illness, 27% of them lost income and 29% incurred major financial costs. [11]
Greater access to peer support, housing, and community-based services improves quality of life and helps those suffering with mental illness to stay out of hospitals and the criminal justice system. [12]
Canada spends only 7 cents of its public healthcare dollar on mental health, far below the 11% they spend in New Zealand and the U.K. [13]
A 2012 study says that 5.2% of Canadians will experience a mood disorder in the next year, with 4.8% of Canadians experiencing an anxiety disorder in the same year. Of those with a mood or anxiety disorder, 22% of them will develop two or more disorders in the same year. [14]
Nearly half (47%) of working Canadians ‘agree’ that their ‘work and place of work is the most stressful part of their day and life.’ (Ipsos Reid, 2013). [15]
In a supportive work environment, depression doesn’t have to lead to disability. A recent review by McIntyre, Liauw and Taylor (2012) indicates that 50% or more of working individuals with depression will not seek short-term disability leave at any point in their working life. [16]
Employees suffering mental health issues often do not report or disclose these issues mostly because of a previous stigmatization. [17]
Evidence shows that the stigma associated with mental illness, in the community, in the workplace, among healthcare and vocational rehabilitation workers, is responsible for a 70% misdiagnosis rate for bipolar disorder. [18]
When mental illness is treated early and effectively, disability leaves, which cost companies an average of $18,000 per leave, can be avoided. [19]
The cost of providing reasonable mental health-related accommodations is usually quite low, well under $500 per person per year. [20]
References
[1] Smetanin, P., Stiff, D., Briante, C., Adair, C., Ahmad, S. & Khan, M. (2011). The life and economic impact of major mental illnesses in Canada: 2011 to 2041. RiskAnalytica, on behalf of the Mental Health Commission of Canada.
[2] Sairanen, S., Matzanke, D., & Smeall, D. (2011). The business case: Collaborating to help employees maintain their mental well-being. Healthcare Papers, 11, 78–84.
[3] Sairanen, S., Matzanke, D., & Smeall, D. (2011). The business case: Collaborating to help employees maintain their mental well-being. Healthcare Papers, 11, 78–84.
[4] Towers, Watson. (2012). Pqthway to health and productivity. 2011/2012 Staying@Work survey report. North America.
[5] Butler, Don, (2011, June 28). “PS disability claims soaring.” Ottawa Citizen.
[6] Smetanin, P., Stiff, D., Briante, C., Adair, C., Ahmad, S., & Khan, M. (2011). The life and economic impact of major mental illnesses in Canada: 2011 to 2041. RiskAnalytica, on behalf of the Mental Health Commission of Canada.
[7] Laurence, D., Kisely, S., & Pais, J. (2010). The epidemiology of excess mortality in people with mental illness. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 55 (12), 752–760.
[8] Lin, E., Diaz-Granados, N., Steward, D.E., & Bierman, A.S. (2011). Postdischarge care for depression in Ontario. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 56 (8), 481–489.
[9] Lin, E., Diaz-Granados, N., Steward, D.E., & Bierman, A.S. (2011). Postdischarge care for depression in Ontario. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 56 (8), 481–489.
[10] Nelson, G., Ochocka, J., Janzen, R., & Trainor, J. (2006). A longitudinal study of mental health consumer/survivor initiatives: Part 2 – A quantitative study of impacts of participation on new members. Journal of Community Psychology, 34 (3), 261–272.
[11] Canadian Mental Health Association (Ontario) & Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. (2010). Employment and education for people with mental illness: Discussion paper.
[12] Community Support and Research Unit, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, & Canadian Council on Social Development. (2011). Turning the key: Assessing housing and related supports for persons living with mental health problems and illnesses. Calgary, AB: Mental Health Commission of Canada. Retrieved from http://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca.
[13] Jacobs, P., Dewa, C., Lesage, A., Vasiliadis, H., Escober, C., Mulvale, G., & Yim, R. (2010). The cost of mental health and substance abuse services in Canada. Edmonton, AB: Institute of Health Economics.
[14] D’Arcy, C., & Xiangfei, M. (2012). Common and unique risk factors and comorbidity for 12-month mood and anxiety disorders among Canadians. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. Revue Canadienne de Psychiatrie, 479-487.
[15] Ipsos Reid. (2013). Partners for Mental Health and article: Two in Ten (16%) Working Canadians Say Their Place of Work is Frequently the Source of Feelings of Depression, Anxiety or Other Mental Illness.
[16] Mcintyre, R. S., Liauw, S., & Taylor, V. H. (2011). Depression in the workforce: the intermediary effect of medical comorbidity. Journal of Affective Disorders, S29-S36.
[17] Brohan, E., Henderson, C., Wheat, K., Malcolm, E., Clement, S., Barley, E. A., . . . Thornicroft, G. (2012). Systematic review of beliefs, behaviours and influencing factors associated with disclosure of a mental health problem in the workplace. BMC Psychiatry, 1-14.
[18] Fajutrao, L., Locklear, J., Priaulx, J., & Heyes, A. (2009). A systematic review of the evidence of the burden of bipolar disorder in Europe. Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health, 1-8.
[19] Dewa, C. S., Chau, N., & Dermer, S. (2010). Examining the Comparative Incidence and Costs of Physical and Mental Health-Related Disabilities in an Employed Population. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 758-762.
[20] Office of Disability Employment Policy. (2013). Workplace Accommodations: Low Cost, High Impact. 1-8.
Research and Development Articles:
Barnes, C. M., Miller, J. A., & Botstock, S. (2017). Helping Employees Sleep Well: Effects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia on Work Outcomes. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(1), 104-113. doi:10.1037/apl0000154
Cadieux, N., & Marchand, A. (2014). Psychological distress in the workforce: a multilevel and longitudinal analysis of the case of regulated occupations in Canada. BMC Public Health, 14(808). doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-808
Church, E. A., Heath, O. J., Curran, V. R., Bethune, C., Callanan, T. S., & Cornish, P. A. (2010). Rural professionals’ perceptions of interprofessional continuing education in mental health. Health and Social Care in the Community, 18(4), 433-443. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2524.2010.00938.x
Dimoff, J. K., & Kelloway, E. K. (2013). Bridging the Gap: Workplace Mental Health Research in Canada. Canadian Psychology, 54(4), 203-212. doi:10.1037/a0034464
Ebrahim S, Guyatt GH, Walter SD, Heels-Ansdell D, Bellman M, et al. (2013) Association of Psychotherapy with Disability Benefit Claim Closure among Patients Disabled Due to Depression. PLoS ONE 8(6): e67162. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0067162
Huang S-L, Li R-H, Huang F-Y, Tang F-C (2015) The Potential for Mindfulness-Based Intervention in Workplace Mental Health Promotion: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial. PLoS ONE 10(9): e0138089. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0138089
Kelloway, K. E. (2017). Mental Health in the Workplace: Towards Evidence-Based Practice. Canadian Psychology, 58(1), 1-6. doi:10.1037/cap0000084
Reme, S. E., Grasdal, A. L., Løvvik, C., Lie, S. A., & Øverland, S. (2015). Work-focused cognitive–behavioural therapy and individual job support to increase work participation in common mental disorders: a randomised controlled multicentre trial. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 72, 745-752. doi:10.1136/ oemed-2014-102700)
Querstret, D., Cropley, M., Kruger, P., & Heron, R. (2016). Assessing the effect of a Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)-based workshop on work-related rumination, fatigue, and sleep. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 25(1), 50-67. doi:10.1080/1359432X.2015.1015516