Does our mental health policy work?

The Mental Health Foundation has issued warnings that employers should do more to support the mental wellbeing of their staff after they return to work after sick leave.

A new report has found that many people suffering on returning to work after a period of prolonged absence for both physical and mental illnesses.

The study, which was carried out at Loughbourough University, looked at the role of depression in returning to work after a period of sickness absence across 4 types of chronic illnesses: depression and anxiety, back pain, heart disease and cancer.

Using focus groups with employers and interviews with employees, the Foundation found that poor adjustment to work and continuing exposure to work-related stress may lead to a ‘relapse’ in sickness absence, early retirement or unemployment.

The report shows that almost half (45%) of those with a physical condition experienced mild to moderate depression, but were more worried about telling their employer about their mental health issues than their cancer or heart disease.

This is one of several big stories surrounding work and mental health issues in the media recently. Another example which has caused much debate is Cheltenham Borough Council sueing its former managing director for just under £1m for failing to disclose a history of depression, after she took a period of paid sick leave from her current position. There is a good comment piece by the Guardian’s Clare Allan here.

This case raises important questions of what a person should be obliged to declare on a job description. Was the woman Christine Laird really ‘lying’ by not mentioning that she had suffered three bouts of depression in the last 12 years? I’m sure that many people with sympathise with her for not wanting to reveal this – after all Government statistics have shown that less than 40% of employers would even consider hiring someone with a history of mental health problems. It will be very interesting to see how this one plays out in the High Court over the next few weeks.