The Impact Of Depression On Work Productivity
Depression harms the lives of those affected by it, often impairing their capacity to function normally and meet their obligations. While depression can present difficulties in all aspects of a person’s life and how they feel, one component that can be particularly tough to negotiate is the impact of depression on a person’s ability to work and perform well.
Therefore, it is critical for people suffering from depression and job issues to seek support. Moreover, they must develop skills to assist them in coping and defend themselves from prejudice at their place of employment.
The Effects Of Depression At Work
Absenteeism (the number of days lost from work) and presenteeism (the number of days spent at work) are two of the most critical elements affecting job output among depressed employees (reduced productivity while at work).
This implies that for some people, the symptoms of depression become so overwhelming that they either fail to appear for work at all, or if they do show up, they are unable to execute their obligations.
While depression is difficult for businesses to deal with, it’s terrible for the affected people. According to the study’s findings, depressed employees have higher rates of job loss, premature retirement, absenteeism, and on-the-job functional restrictions when compared to their nondepressed colleagues.
Symptoms Of Being Depressed At Work
A variety of depression-related symptoms might harm an employee’s ability to perform at work. In addition to irritability and difficulty concentrating, these symptoms can include feelings of guilt and helplessness, a persistently depressed mood, a lack of interest in activities, and decreased energy.
Weight changes, suicidal and death thoughts, difficulty sleeping or oversleeping, as well as physical discomforts such as headaches, aches and pains, digestive problems, and cramps are also signs of depression.
Sadness or tension might be misconstrued as depression or anxiety, and the reverse is also true. According to Psychology Today, feeling disappointment or unpleasantness might provoke a normal emotional response such as sadness. Over time, the feeling of sorrow diminishes, and stress has a similar effect.
Depression, on the other hand, is a persistently bad emotional state that lasts at least two weeks. It’s not always triggered by a specific incident or situation, as is the case with anxiety.
The Presence Of A Widespread Problem
It’s not embarrassing to admit if you or someone you care about suffers from depression and has struggled at work due to this condition. Determining the best way to deal with depression at work is a significant concern for many people and businesses and has been for quite some time.
Major depressive disorder (MDD) affects roughly 16 million people in the US. It’s projected that around 7 percent of full-time employees in the United States had suffered from MDD in the preceding year, according to the American Psychiatric Association.
With so many individuals experiencing depression at work, you would think that more organizations would have devised a strategy to assist their employees facing difficulties with their mental health. However, this is not the case.
Despite this, many employers are unaware of which employees are suffering or why they’re suffering. Many don’t have protocols for dealing with cases when someone’s depression interferes with their work.
As a result, many occurrences of depression are addressed on a case-by-case basis by managers inside firms. A depressed employee must push for the resources and support they require to be successful.
Depression Medications
When you are depressed, you face an unprecedented sense of hopelessness and apathy in daily activities, which is especially detrimental at work because it can impair your ability to perform well at your job. It is essential to distinguish these fluctuations from the regular mood swings that people experience throughout their lives almost daily.
The condition of depression is a chronic one that doesn’t go away on its own. On the other hand, relapses are instances in which the symptoms persist for at least two weeks and are classified as such. Depression can last for a few weeks, several months, or even several years, depending on the severity of the condition.
The treatment of depression can be accomplished using these two prescription medications to help alleviate mental health depression while assisting you at work. These medications are Zoloft and Wellbutrin.
What are Zoloft and Wellbutrin?
Zoloft is an antidepressant medication prescribed to treat depression, as well as other anxiety and psychiatric problems. In contrast, Wellbutrin is a prescription medication used to treat individuals suffering from a specific type of depression known as major depressive disorder.
Is it preferable to take zoloft or wellbutrin? In numerous studies, Wellbutrin and Zoloft proved to be substantially equal in obtaining remission of depression-related symptoms. Wellbutrin may be preferred over Zoloft since its side effect profile is less severe than the latter.
Conclusion
When you are depressed, it’s essential to protect yourself at work. However, it is necessary to get treatment to improve your mental health and learn how to manage your depression to feel joy and a sense of purpose in your life.
Meeting with a certified medical professional is one of the best things you can do to obtain help. A licensed medical expert can confirm your diagnosis and put together a specific treatment plan for you.
