USA Today had a great feature on the gradual shift taking place in the world of work toward psychological problems. In the past, the general consensus was for employers to ignore (at best) or discriminate against (at worst) people that had some sort of mental illness. Not only does an employee with active psychological problems struggle in his individual life, it can disrupt the workplace socially, it can also cost companies serious money in lower productivity.

But companies’ mental health coverage often lags behind coverage for physical ailments. Health plans may restrict the number of times an employee can see a mental health provider, for example. Americans battling depression with limited access to mental health care could face bills of $18,000 annually to cover health-related expenses due to their condition, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Those with limited access were four times as likely to quit their jobs.

I would hope most employers who care about their employees as well as the bottom line, would make an investment into more complete healthcare benefits. Otherwise, hiring psychologists for management and human resouraces to consult with on crisis management, productivity, diversity issues, and general psychological concerns is another avenue to keep business running smoothly.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 25 Aug 2006