Over the last ten years or more, I have become aware of seeing more business people and people from all sorts of workplaces who are presenting as depressed. Their bosses are unsure what to do, their work friends and colleagues are hesitant not wanting to make matters worse and all the while the person themselves is struggles. This book serves to provide answers to these issues.
“Dr. Cross makes a compelling case for the importance of managing depression in the workplace. He clearly lays out the staggering cost implications, and his thorough analysis makes one wonder why so many leading companies fail to provide programs to help address workplace depression. With so much at stake, clearly more companies need to include mental well-being in their overall approach to employee wellness.”
Paul Kessler, Managing Director, The Syncretics Group, USA, and Co-author of Leading at the Edge: Leadership Lessons from the Extraordinary Saga of Shackleton’s Antarctic Expedition
Depression is a common illness, so common in fact, that it has been referred to as the “common cold of mental illness.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that depression is becoming a worldwide epidemic from which there is no escape and it’s on the rise.
The WHO estimates for example, that about 340 million people worldwide suffer from an episode of clinical depression each year. It is the fourth leading cause of disability worldwide. Globally, one person in six is expected to suffer from clinical depression with estimates that by 2020, it will be the second most common cause of disability worldwide.
The general consensus of national and world health organizations is that on any given day, between 3.6% and 9% of your organizations’ employees are clinically depressed.
But these statistics are for major depressive disorder only. When we look at milder depression, it is recognized that symptoms interfere substantially with a person’s daily functioning (including work) for 18-52% of people worldwide, and these numbers are rising with increasing levels of depression.
There is no escaping this epidemic.
It can be argued though that these figures will be reached much sooner than 2020, given the world economic recession that we have had together with the phenomenal rate of change that is occurring on the planet in so many ways including politically as well as the advances in technology for example.
“Depression is a growing global issue that at some point we will all encounter whether in the workplace or in our personal lives. It is a difficult topic to approach in any setting. Dr. Cross does a fantastic job of breaking it down into easy-to-understand solutions for managers. “The Dark Clouds At Work” is a resource that I would recommend to all the Business Advisors that I work with.”
Tanya Chapman, North America Regional Manager, Mindshop International, Atlanta, Georgia USA
“Wow, what a breath of fresh air for all business owners. As a consultant and trainer working with teams and leaders across Australia this book should be a vital part of the leadership tool box. We witness many organisations and leaders who cannot see the cost and long term suffering of depression in the workplace. Darryl’s work has already had massive personal implications for my business and family and now a guide for my customers, what more could I ask for, brilliant.”
Mike Boyle, Founder and Senior Consultant, Banjar Group, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Employees, Managers, HR Directors and Leaders alike need to know how to handle this illness.
If it hasn’t confronted you already, it will since 70% of depressives work. That’s right! Of those diagnosed with clinical depression, nearly three-quarters of them work. So, if you never thought that this mental health issue was going to touch you, think again.
If you’d prefer a Kindle version of this book or a Paperback version, then please click on the alternative link above which will take you to amazon.com.
For the Audio version you can download it here. Your investment for this audiobook is US$9. You get the entire book professionally narrated for you in MP3 format, so you can listen in the car or on your iPod or anywhere else that you choose.